Kennedy, Warren adjust to Libertyville

Something wasn't quite right.

Over the first three innings Wednesday afternoon at Libertyville, Warren star pitcher Ryan Kennedy gave up 4 runs on 4 hits, including a home run.

He then promptly got called over to the dugout for a chat with his coach, Clint Smothers.

"I was almost thinking about going with someone else," Smothers said. "He (Kennedy) couldn't get his curve ball or change-up over and it was waist high. His fastball was up. He said, 'I'll make the adjustment, Coach.'"

Kennedy knew exactly what he needed to do.

"I needed to work on keeping (the pitches) down in the zone so that I could try to get ground balls and little pop-ups," Kennedy said. "That's what I was working for."

Easier said than done? Mid-game tinkering, after all, isn't always easy on a pitcher's psyche.

But Kennedy was unfazed, mainly because of the big safety net provided by his teammates in the form of runs and hits galore.

Even after Libertyville's big early splash, Warren was still up by 5 runs, and the lead just got bigger from there.

That gave Kennedy the confidence to make the adjustments necessary to shut down Libertyville the rest of the way.

And that he did.

He allowed just 1 hit and 1 run over the final four innings in leading Warren to a key, 12-5 North Suburban Conference Lake Division victory. The Blue Devils finished with a whopping 16 hits on the day.

"We did a great job of hitting today," said Kennedy, who rolled up 5 strikeouts and just 2 walks in going the distance. He improves his record on the mound to 5-1. "When we're up five or six runs, it makes it a lot easier on the mound. A 1-0 game is a completely different pitching effort than when you've got a big lead."

Warren, which also defeated Libertyville in Gurnee on Tuesday, stays in the hunt in the race for the Lake Division title. The Blue Devils improve to 19-3 overall and, along with Stevenson, have just one loss in the Lake (5-1).

Libertyville drops to 12-7 overall.

The Blue Devils built the bulk of their big lead in a third inning that saw them score 8 runs on 8 hits and get 14 at-bats.

"They're a dangerous lineup," said Libertyville starter Tyler Schweigert, who was pulled after facing eight batters in the third inning. He drops to 2-1 on the mound. "You get past one guy and then you have the other eight guys to go and they can all hit."

Matt Dowd, Jon Frericks, Scott Heelan, Mike Herrmann and Kevin Colburn all drove in runs for Warren in the third inning. Plus, Libertyville walked in 2 runs.

"When you give up 8 runs like that in an inning and you're chasing a team that is as good as they are, it's tough to come back from that," Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said. "I didn't think we quit, though. Our kids still swung the bats. But (Warren) answered and you've got to tip your hat to them. They swung the bats well and pitched extremely well."

The Wildcats' big start, in which they scored 2 runs in both the second and third innings, was keyed by a home run to right center field by Joey Eichmann.

Eichmann also had a double later in the game. It was Libertyville's only hit after Kennedy made his clutch adjustment in the fourth inning.

"(Kennedy) made the adjustment, came out in those last innings and just pitched great," Smothers said. "He's a competitor. We feel comfortable throwing him on the mound against anyone."