Baseball: Lake Zurich rallies from 4 runs down, beats Schaumburg
It's been the kind of spring that makes playing baseball on an 80-degree day a huge question mark.
After Schaumburg's players, coaches and staff did a yeoman's job of getting the field ready after two inches of rain on Friday, that question had an answer.
But then it was visiting Lake Zurich's opportunity to respond.
The Bears rallied from a 5-1 deficit to knock off the Saxons 7-6 before a large crowd that was enjoying some good baseball and great weather.
"The fact that we were able to come out here and play is amazing," Lake Zurich coach Scott De Caprio said. "My hats are off to Schaumburg and their grounds crew. This wasn't happening without those guys."
Lake Zurich took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by sophomore Jonathan Fleaka, driving home Evan Kemper who had singled and stole a base.
The Saxons (2-8) exploded after that, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first and a pair of runs in the second to pull ahead 5-1.
Nathan Collier tripled in a run and doubled home two other runs. Brayden Mazzacano doubled in his first two at-bats, scoring both times while driving in a run. The Saxons also scored on a fielder's choice and an error as they looked like they were in command early.
Lake Zurich (5-7) then battled back, scoring six runs in the middle three innings.
Ryan Kondrad, who had two hits and two runs scored, came around after Kemper's double and Jack Konrad's sacrifice fly. Kemper then scored on Fleaka's fielder's choice in the third.
Logan Griglione walked and scored on an error in the fourth. Evan Chung, who reached on that error, scored on Kemper's third hit of the day.
"I just stayed loose at the plate," Kemper said. "That is the main thing for me. I try not to think too much when I am up there."
Fleaka had a bases-loaded walk for his third RBI to put the Bears up 6-5.
"I just know when I go up there I have to provide for the team," said Fleaka, who verbally committed to Illinois-Chicago earlier this week.
"UIC is a really good spot for me. It will be a huge opportunity for my family to come out and watch me play."
The Bears added what would become their winning run on a homer by Griglione in the fifth. Mazzacano came on in relief for the Saxons and shut down the Bears from there, striking out 8.
Schaumburg closed to 7-6 on a double by Collier, who had three extra-base hits and three RBI on the day.
Then when the Bears needed a stop, Riley Pollard came on to deliver one.
With the Bears leading 7-6, Schaumburg had runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth. Pollard got a popout to end the inning.
Then in the seventh, Schaumburg had runners on first and second with one out. Poland struck out the final two batters to end the game.
Lake Zurich got good pitching on both ends of the game.
Freshman Jackson Piggott, who had the flu earlier this week, made his first start. He struggled in the first two innings, but settled down in the next three to pick up his first varsity win.
"We got great pitching when we needed it," De Caprio said. "Pollard is one of our go-to guys when we are in those tough situations."
Schaumburg coach Nick Kostalek said his team just couldn't get a big hit when needed.
"We struggled to make adjustments and get guys on," Kostalek said. "They did a nice job of executing. The middle innings are huge. They got six of their seven runs then."