Tanzillo's pickoff keys Wauconda win over Grayslake North

Dan Tanzillo had few pitches left in him.

Wauconda's senior pitcher had a pickoff move, though.

"That was my plan," Tanzillo said with a grin so wide that it nearly matched the shape of his skinny beard. "I just saw (the runner) had a big lead so I decided to pick him off. Got it right there."

Tanzillo got his man, although Grayslake North thought otherwise, and got the win.

His sixth-inning pickoff helped thwart a potential Grayslake North rally, as Wauconda's baseball team went on to post a 3-1 home win Saturday.

Tanzillo pitched 6 innings, with Tim Matesi tossing a scoreless seventh for the save. They combined on a 2-hitter in helping Wauconda improve to 2-1.

Grayslake North fell to 0-3, as the Knights scored just 1 run for the third game in a row.

"I'm not a mathematician but that's 1 run a game, and you're not going to win many games like that," Grayslake North coach Andy Strahan said.

"But we're working on it. They're good kids. The hitting will come around. They're competitors. They'll bounce back pretty quick."

Grayslake North scored its only run in the third to pull even when Joe Walsh drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on a throwing error.

Wauconda answered in the fourth when Jeff Jackson (2-for-3, double, 2 runs, stolen base) singled and scored on Kevin Fessler's double to right-center. One out later, Jeremy Wagner ripped his second RBI single in as many at-bats.

Steve Owen led off the Grayslake North sixth by getting hit on a 3-2 pitch. Wauconda coach Bill Sliker then paid Tanzillo a visit on the mound.

"He just told me to get this next guy out or it'll be my last guy, because my pitch count was getting up," Tanzillo said.

Before Tanzillo threw his next pitch, he threw to first. Wagner applied the tag and the umpire called Owen out on a close play.

No, Sliker didn't call for a pickoff.

"I didn't do a thing," Sliker said with smile. "But I do tell him early on, 'Let's do those things.' We ran a couple of pickoffs at second (earlier in the game). We've been doing (pickoff plays) in the gym all the time. It's like a practice, these early games."

The pickoff proved huge, as Ed Tatera lined a single to right field on Tanzillo's next pitch. After a walk and fielder's choice, Tanzillo induced another groundout for the third out.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Tanzillo (1-1) kept the ball down the whole game, getting good results from his split-finger fastball. Grayslake North hit 13 groundballs.

"I'm not a strikeout pitcher," said Tanzillo, who rang up three and walked a pair. "I'm definitely a groundball pitcher."

The only flyball Grayslake North hit saw Wauconda sophomore center fielder Jake Ziolkowski make a diving catch going to his right to rob Colin Laughlin in the second.

"That was an amazing catch," Tanzillo said. "It was unbelievable."

Sean Brennan had the only other hit for the Knights. Tatera suffered the loss, allowing 3 runs (all earned) in 5 innings. The lefty struck out seven.

"We just got to play better," Strahan said. "We got to hit. But give their kid (Tanzillo) credit. He pitched great, and their defense behind him picked up the ball."