Carmel collects win at Judson
Wet grounds at Carmel Catholic forced the baseball team to travel to Elgin to play a “home” game in the state tournament.
The Corsairs apparently didn’t mind.
Tyler Murphy belted a 2-run homer, and Dalton Wright scattered 5 hits over 6 innings, as No. 3 Carmel blanked No. 19 Wheeling 6-0 at Judson University on Thursday night.
Duncan Amrein doubled twice for Carmel (25-9), which advances to Saturday’s Class 4A regional final against the winner of today’s game between No. 6 Stevenson and No. 11 Rolling Meadows. Brett Milazzo also had a double for the Corsairs, while Matt Ryan contributed an RBI single. Wright (6-3) struck out four.
Vernon Hills 2, Ridgewood 0: At Fenton, Tyler Feece delivered a dominant playoff performance for the second-seeded Cougars in the Class 3A regional semifinal.
Feece threw a complete-game shutout, striking out 11 while scattering 5 hits.
Jake Boyer, John Goehrke and Ethan McGrew all made outstanding defensive plays to support Feece’s effort. Vernon Hills got all the runs it would need in the first inning. Jordan Freibrun was hit by a pitch to start the game. Tommy Earhart then drew a walk. After a double steal, Feece hit a sacrifice fly to deep right-center field.
Feece helped his own cause again in the third inning when he hit a solo home run.
Vernon Hills threatened in the bottom of the sixth, as well, as the Cougars loaded the bases with two out. However, Rebels shortstop Anthony Mroz made a great play in deep short on a hard ground ball to throw out Freibrun by a step.
Vernon Hills advances to Saturday’s 10 a.m. regional final against top-seeded Wauconda, which swept the Cougars during North Suburban Prairie Division play.
Wauconda 10, Fenton 0: At Fenton, winning pitcher Ryan Gibis (triple) and Cody Reese (double, 3 RBI) each went 2-for-3, as the top-seeded Bulldogs captured their Class 3A regional semifinal in five innings.
Gibis pitched 4 innings, striking out nine and walking one.
Wauconda (18-7) plays No. 2 Vernon Hills for the regional championship at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Glenbrook North 8, Lake Zurich 1: At Lake Zurich, the fourth-seeded Spartans ended the Bears’ season in a Class 4A regional semifinal.
Lake Zurich, the No. 14 seed, finished 15-17.
Prairie Ridge 4, Grayslake North 1: At McHenry’s Petersen Park, the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division champs saw their season come to an end under the lights.
The Class 4A regional-semifinal loss gave Grayslake North a 20-9 record.