Baseball: Libertyville’s comeback falls a run shot, Wildcats fall out of NSC lead

Libertyville came up 90 feet short Tuesday.

Trailing 7-1 through five innings, the Wildcats scored two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh. But Libertyville stranded Trevor Wallace on third base to fall to host Lake Forest 7-6.

“Our group is going to battle,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “They are going to put together quality at-bats and never give up. We had our three hitter up and you know he is going to be upset with himself. But that’s just baseball.”

Libertyville (21-8, 9-3) got off to a great start. Carson Holmes belted a two-out homer 385-feet to dead center in the top of the first to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

“I am just going up there and I knew the wind was blowing out to center,” said Holmes, who has two homers this season. “And I was able to do that. It gave us a good start.”

But that lead would only last until the bottom of the second. That’s when the Scouts hit Libertyville with a 5-run outburst thanks mostly to a bases-loaded triple by Owen Koehemann on a 10-pitch at-bat.

Thompson brought in Nico Harper after that to hold down the Scouts. The senior did a solid job over his and 4 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs and four hits while striking out three.

“(Nico) Harper is just getting better every time he is out there,” Thompson said. “He is going to help us down the stretch. We’re happy the way he threw for us today for sure.”

Harper kept the Wildcats in the game with his pitching. He also had huge help defensively with Jack Cenar in right making a great catch. Centerfielder Matthew Hara also made a pair of diving catches.

That trio gave Libertyville an opportunity to find its offense.

Hara led off the sixth with a walk. He would eventually score on Holmes’ sacrifice fly. The Wildcats would add another run as Wallace singled and then advanced on three wild pitches to cut the lead to 7-3.

And the Wildcats were not quite done.

In the seventh, Madden Cotts led off with a sharp single. Aksel McKnight followed with a walk and Wesont Wyzukovicz hit into a force out before Hara was hit by a pitch.

Wallace followed and drilled a pitch into the right-center gap, clearing the bases with a triple to make it 7-6.

“I had a little shaky start in my first at-bat,” Wallace said. “But I have faced that kid a couple of times over the past few years. I knew I was going to get a fastball and just had to hit it.”

With just one out, Lake Forest (22-5, 10-2) was able to get out of the jam with an infield pop out and a strikeout to preserve the win.

That missed opportunity cost the Wildcats an opportunity to move into sole possession of first place in the North Suburban Conference. Both Libertyville and Lake Forest had entered the game tied for first along with Warren. But Warren lost 15-4 Wednesday to Lake Zurich, leaving the Scouts alone at the top of the conference with two conference games remaining for each team.

Libertyville did get some good news before the game. The defending 4A state champion Wildcats received the top seed in their 18-team sectional. That sectional will be played at an undetermined location.

“Yes, we found that out today before the game,” Thompson said. “That’s really good. We are going to try to be the home team all the way through.”