Lake Zurich clinches NSC title game berth
Amanda Guercio and Mallory Parsons homered, and Lake Zurich's softball team clinched a berth in Thursday's North Suburban Conference championship game by beating visiting Mundelein 8-3 Tuesday.
Lake Zurich (22-4) is 9-2 in the North Suburban Lake, one game ahead of Libertyville in the loss column in the division standings. While Libertyville finished 9-3 in the division, Lake Zurich will complete its suspended game with Stevenson on Friday. But because Lake Zurich owns the tiebreaker with Libertyville, the Bears will visit NSC Prairie champ Wauconda for the NSC title at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Lake Zurich and Libertyville split, so run differential in the two games serves as the next tiebreaker as to which team represents the Lake in Thursday's game. Lake Zurich beat the Wildcats 6-4 and lost 5-4.
Against Mundelein (21-12, 3-9), Lake Zurich got 2-hit games from Maddie Minneci and McKenna Larson. Both Minneci and Guercio, whose homer was her ninth of the season, drove in 3 runs. Olivia Schneider went the distance in the circle, striking out nine.
Libertyville 6, Zion-Benton 4: Tayler Oberman homered, singled and knocked in 2 runs for the host Wildcats in their North Suburban Lake finale.
Jessie Lauret went 3-for-4 for Libertyville (23-8, 9-3), while Jamie Stevens was 2-for-3. Andi Katz contributed a double and 2 RBI.
Haley Alban earned the win, allowing only 1 earned run in her complete-game effort.
Stevenson 20, Lake Forest 1: Taylor Koenigs went 5-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBI and 5 runs scored for the visiting Patriots in North Suburban Lake action.
Vera Pflugradt was 4-for-5 and scored 4 runs, while Molly Thon singled three times in as many at-bats for Stevenson (18-14, 6-5). Trisha Porzycki went 3-for-5 with a double, 3 RBI and 3 runs. Jordan Cortesi tripled twice, and Dana Morgan doubled twice and tripled. The Patriots also got a double from Abbey O'Connor.
Myra Peterson (2 innings pitched, 1 unearned run) and Ruby Mankus (3 shutout innings) combined on a 1-hitter.
Lake Forest finished 0-12 in the NSC Lake.
Antioch 10, Lakes 6: Sage Keyes belted a 2-run homer and finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI, as the Sequoits knocked off their district rival in the two teams' North Suburban Prairie finale.
Antioch (15-15, 7-5) got 2 hits apiece from Taylor Schiltz and Jillian Foote (2 doubles).
Ally Perdue homered for Lakes.
Grant 15, Vernon Hills 2: The host Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one inning en route to the North Suburban Prairie win.
Grant finished 9-3 in the division. Vernon Hills (6-25, 4-8) got a triple and 2 RBI from Danielle Comitor.
Grayslake North 2, Hampshire 0: Sarah Littleton scattered 4 hits in throwing a complete-game shutout for the host Knights.
Jessica Vaughn went 2-for-3 for Grayslake North, while Mariah Gentile knocked in both runs.