Baseball: Priester, Cary-Grove handle regional opener
Cary-Grove pitcher Quinn Priester limited No. 7 Crystal Lake Central to five baserunners in a 2-0 Class 4A Grant regional semifinal win in Fox Lake Wednesday.
The Tigers had runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh inning when Priester induced a comebacker to the mound to record to the final out. He finished with 7 strikeouts in a 78-pitch performance.
L.J. Waco and Harry Heinisch drove in runs for No. 2 Cary-Grove (21-13), which advances to face either No. 3 Grant or No. 5 Streamwood in the regional final Saturday at 11 a.m.
Aurora Christian 15, Holy Trinity 3: The Eagles won a Class 2A Lisle sectional semifinal played at Lee Pfund Stadium in Carol Stream one day after winning the Westmont regional. Sam Tickel went 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI and Hunter Thompson struck out 4 and allowed 1 hit in 4 innings to earn the win for Aurora Christian (17-9-1). The Eagles advance to Saturday's 11 a.m. sectional final against Chicago DePaul Prep, a 4-2 winner over Lisle.
Harvest Christian 9, North Shore Country Day 2: In a Class 1A sectional semifinal at Judson University, host Harvest Christian collected 9 hits and capitalized on 4 North Shore error to score 5 unearned runs. Gil Duran and Brock Wilken (3 RBI) each counted a double among 2 hits. Winning pitcher Sam Bonick tossed a 5-hitter with 9 strikeouts for the top-seeded Lions (23-3), who advance to the final on Saturday at 10 a.m. against No. 2 Elgin Academy.
Elgin Academy 8, Chicago Hope Academy 3: In a Class 1A sectional semifinal at Judson University, the Hilltoppers used a 14-hit attack - including 6 extra-base hits - to advance to the sectional final on Saturday at 10 a.m. against No. 1 Harvest Christian Academy. CJ Carani threw a 6-hitter with 14 strikeouts and had 2 hits and 2 walks in 4 plate appearances. Colin Konicek doubled twice for Elgin Academy (23-5).
Willowbrook 11, Bartlett 5: A 9-run second inning by Class 4A host Willowbrook () doomed the Hawks in a regional semifinal. Frankie Gherurdi had 2 of the 6 hits for Bartlett (19-11-1). Nathan Gargano took the loss.
Huntley 17, Jefferson 0: At DeKalb, Michael Talesky doubled, and A.J. Henkle and Kyle Maurer each doubled and tripled as No. 1 subsectional seed Huntley (27-9) used an 18-hit barrage to sink Jefferson in a regional semifinal in 5 innings. Winning pitcher Eli Paplanus struck out 7 on 41 pitches over 3 innings to advance the Red Raiders to Saturday's 11 a.m. regional final against either No. 4 Belvidere North or No. 7 DeKalb.
Barrington 18, Larkin 1: Top subsectional seed Barrington (29-7) raked 19 hits in 5 innings to cruise in a Class 4A Dundee-Crown regional semifinal. Tayshon Erdman doubled and Kevin Duffy singled for the only hits for No. 9 Larkin (5-29).
Kaneland 4, Genoa-Kingston 1: At Burlington Central, winning pitcher Thomas Shaw held No. 8 Genoa-Kingston to an unearned run on 5 hits and 2 walks and struck out 6 over 6 innings, and Alex Buchanan struck out the side in a scoreless seventh to record the save for No. 1 subsectional seed Kaneland (26-7). Mikey Rogers went 2-for-2 and rove in 2 runs to send the Knights to a Class 3A regional final on Saturday at 10 a.m. against either No. 4 Burlington Central or No. 5 Wheaton Academy.