Barton, Libertyville shift into shutout mode

So how many infielders can you squeeze between first base and second base?

Answer: The maximum, as Libertyville's lefty-hitting catcher Evan Skoug discovered when he batted in the seventh inning at Lake Zurich Tuesday.

"I've never seen that, not even for Adam Dunn or David Ortiz," Skoug said with a laugh. "I was pretty mind-boggled the last at-bat, when they had four guys on the right side of second base."

With Lake Zurich third baseman Trevor Staley standing behind second base, Skoug lifted a flyball that was dropped in left-center for a two-base error.

It was that kind of day. Lake Zurich had troubles defensively, regardless of the shifts it employed against Skoug, and Libertyville's potent lineup kept the Bears busy in the field.

It was a different story for the Wildcats and starting pitcher Jeff Barton, who tossed a complete-game 2-hitter in 7-0 win.

Libertyville pounded out 11 hits, including three from third baseman Hunter Van Wagner, in improving to 12-2 and 5-0 in the North Suburban Lake Division.

Barton struck out nine, didn't walk a batter and hit one. The only hits the 6-foot-4 righty allowed were singles to Colton Wagner and Derek Kornfeind.

"Jeff was lights out," Skoug said after Barton retired the last 11 batters he faced. "He was hitting spots, throwing all of his pitches. You couldn't ask for a better performance."

When Skoug came to bat in the first inning, Staley slid over to short and shortstop Danny Neises moved behind second base. Skoug tried bunting, before popping out to Neises.

"It was getting crazier and crazier as the game went on," Skoug said of the shifts. "It was pretty nuts."

Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said teams have shifted when pitching to Skoug in the past, "but nothing like (what Lake Zurich did)" against his Texas Christian-bound star.

"No Jim Thome shifts," Schurr said with a smile.

First-year Lake Zurich coach Chuck Gandolfi said he would "always" employ shifts when he coached at Carmel Catholic. Helping him with his decision to defense Skoug the way he did was a cold air and wind that was blowing in.

"In the East Suburban (Catholic Conference), we'd see hitters like (Skoug)," Gandolfi said after his Bears fell to 8-6 and 3-2. "If he wants to bunt or hit it (to left field, that's OK). He's not going to hit it out to that part of the park today."

Skoug (2-for-5) beat the shift twice, ripping a single into right field in the third and sneaking a ball through the right side in the sixth. Mitch Townsend had a 2-run single as part of a 5-run third for Libertyville and added an RBI base hit in the fourth.

Wildcats junior Sean Ferraro, making his third start in a row in left field, finished 2-for-4 with a double. Ben Manski and Van Wagner also doubled.

Ferraro has hit safely in each of his starts.

"I didn't just sit on the bench and say 'All right, it's not going to be this year,' " Ferraro said. "I kept working hard and kept pushing for the left-field spot. I'm in the lineup, I'm producing and I'm doing whatever it takes to produce for the team."

Ferraro also came up big in the field, making a feet-first, sliding catch in foul territory in the third. The wind pushed the ball, which was sinking fast, close to the fence, where Ferraro made the catch.

"That's why I went feet first," Ferraro said. "You never want to go head first in the fence because that can lead to possible bad injuries."

Skoug got Barton out of a jam to end the third by picking a runner off second base.

Lake Zurich committed 6 errors, by five players. Starting pitcher Sam Zoibi allowed 6 runs (all unearned) in 5-plus innings.

"If your best players don't make plays, you're not going to win," said Gandolfi, whose team visits Libertyville today. "(Libertyville) was clearly the better team. Their kid threw strikes and kept the ball down. We didn't hit too many balls hard."