Oliver blasts pair of 3-run homers to boost Warren
Pat Oliver blasted a 3-run homer in the second inning and for good measure duplicated the feat in the fourth to lead visiting Warren to a 9-0 victory over Grayslake Central in a nonconference game between two of Lake County's best baseball teams Wednesday.
Zach Schneider (4-1) was the beneficiary of Oliver's power demonstration. Schneider worked 6 innings and scattered 2 hits with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk. Tanner Erbach pitched a scoreless seventh.
Kevin Colburn was 2-for-3 and Jeff Johnson had a hit and an RBI for Warren (10-2).
Grayslake Central fell to 10-2.
Libertyville 6, Lake Zurich 3: Dar Townsend pitched 6 shutout innings of 4-hit ball, and the Wildcats did not commit an error in winning the North Suburban Lake Division game.
Tyler Schweigert went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI for Libertyville (6-3, 2-0), while Joey Eichmann and Brad Martin each was 2-for-4.
For Lake Zurich (6-7, 1-1), Dan Johnsen (double, 2 RBI) and Tim Bavester each went 2-for-3. The Bears scored all of their runs in the bottom of the seventh.
"Libertyville has a solid ballclub," Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon said. "They outplayed defensively with no miscues. We have to tighten up defensively and cut down mistakes. Townsend threw a great game, getting ahead of the hitters all night."
Parker Asmann suffered the loss, allowing 6 runs, only 1 of which was earned, in 22/3 innings.
Vernon Hills 3, Lakes 2 (8 inn.): For the second time in as many days, the Eagles found themselves in a pitchers duel that ended in extra innings.
This time, it was highly regarded D. J. Snelten facing Vernon Hills ace Scott Kempel in North Suburban Prairie Division action.
As scouts crowded behind home plate, both pitchers rose to the occasion.
Lakes (7-5, 0-1) struck first in the top of the second on an RBI single by Mark Ortman.
Vernon Hills responded in its half of the inning, as Eric Oberwise doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Brian Palmer's infield single.
Lakes moved ahead in the fourth, which Nick Traska started with a double. He later scored on an RBI double by Ortman.
Chris Marras (2-for-4) led off the Vernon Hills sixth with a double. The Cougars found themselves with runners at second and third an none out. On an attempted squeeze, Snelten made a nice play to cut down the runner at home. On the very next pitch, Lakes picked a runner off first for the second out.
Kempel then helped his own cause with an RBI single to score Chris Argianas.
Kempel shut down Lakes into the eighth when he was lifted for reliever Cesar Gallegos.
In the bottom of the eighth, Marras led off with a single. Argianas bunted courtesy runner Jeremi Cruzado to second. Cruzado moved to third on an error and scored when Kempel hit a groundball to the shortstop, scoring Cruzado.
Mundelein 8, Lake Forest 4: Mike O'Donoghue tripled and singled, and both he and Kevin Rohe went 2-for-3 for the Mustangs in the North Suburban Lake Division game.
Ben Mahar pitched 62/3 innings in earning the win, as he struck out six. Tyler Adams added a double for Mundelein (9-2, 1-1), which led 4-3 before scoring 4 runs in the top of the seventh.
Stevenson 15, Zion-Benton 0: The host Patriots scored all of their runs in the first two innings.
Stevenson (8-1, 1-1) was led offensively by Corey Lasky (3-for-3, 4 RBI, 2 runs), Jeff Ferstein (3-for-3, double, 2 RBI) and Pat Wilson (2-for-3, homer, double, 3 RBI). Alex Daar added a double.
Kory Cutler pitched 4 innings of no-hit ball for the win.
Antioch 11, Round Lake 3: Kevin Smiley, Ryan Dragoon and Cameron Jerina all doubled for the Sequoits in the North Suburban Prairie Division game.
Smiley and Adam Warner each had 2 RBI for Antioch (3-7, 1-2). Dragoon pitched a complete game and did not allow an earned run. He struck out 12, walked two and yielded 2 hits.
Wauconda 11, N. Chicago 1: Jeremy Wagner earned the win for the Bulldogs in the North Suburban Prairie game.
McHenry 6, Grayslake North 0: The Knights fell to 0-13.