LZ’s research put to good use vs. Libertyville

No “dog” was going to eat this homework assignment.

The consequence would be too stiff.

Lake Zurich baseball coach Gary Simon told his players after a 6-error loss to Libertyville on Tuesday that they had to come back on Wednesday with some words of wisdom. He told them to search the Internet or anywhere else they could think of to find quotes about overcoming adversity, which is what they needed to do after a loss like that.

“They were supposed to write up a few paragraphs. It was like their homework assignment,” Simon said. “I told them if they didn’t do their homework, they’d be running on Wednesday.”

Not only did the Bears avoid unwanted sprints on Wednesday with 100 percent of their homework accounted for, they also seemed to draw some inspiration from the quotes they discovered.

Lake Zurich put together one of its most complete games of the season and exacted some revenge in the process by getting a 5-3 North Suburban Conference Lake Division victory over visiting Libertyville.

The Bears, who move to 12-7 overall and 3-3 in the division, rolled up 10 hits, turned in an error-free performance in the field and kept Libertyville in check with a pitching line that included 16 strikeouts between their two pitchers.

“I had two quotes. One of them was about how fighting back from when you’re down and out makes champions,” Lake Zurich first baseman Tanner Kiser said. “We all made sure we got that homework done because we didn’t want to do any extra running. I think it gave us a boost, too.”

Kiser didn’t exactly need a boost, although he played as if he got one.

He hit a home run in Tuesday’s loss against Libertyville and then followed that up with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate on Wednesday. He reached base on a walk during a 3-run fourth inning that gave Lake Zurich a 5-0 lead and ultimately enough insurance to withstand a late Libertyville rally.

“I’ve been working hard on my hitting, trying to get my foot down earlier and see the ball better,” Kiser said. “I’ve been able to get the ball in play and help my team get runs and some momentum.”

Right fielder Sean Eder also helped the Bears get some runs. He drove in 2 runs in that big fourth inning. Meanwhile, James DeGeorge and Joey Pizzalato each finished with 2 hits apiece.

Libertyville (11-5, 3-1 Lake) didn’t get that kind of widespread offensive production, but eventually made up some ground, thanks in part to a double in both the fifth and sixth innings by left fielder Alec Semersky. He drove in 2 runs in the sixth.

“If you don’t win, there really is no positive note,” Semersky said of the comeback. “We should have jumped on them more. We just weren’t firing it off at the plate today. We needed to hit the ball more.”

The Wildcats seemed stymied at the plate by Lake Zurich starter Wyatt Spector and his reliever, Austin Foote. Spector racked up 12 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings while Foote closed out with 4 strikeouts of his own.

“My off-speed stuff was definitely on today,” said Spector, who runs his record to 3-0 on the mound. “Our defense supported me 100 percent, too.”

Foote closed out the game by getting strikeouts for all three outs in the top of the seventh, but not before getting himself in a bit of a jam. He loaded the bases by walking 2 batters and hitting another.

Still, as was a theme through the game, Libertyville couldn’t capitalize.

The Wildcats left a total of 10 runners on base.

“We just didn’t put it together,” Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said. “We definitely left too many guys on base. Too many for a 2-run ballgame.”