Big Innings By Post 964 Spell 9-6 Victory Over Grayslake

“We had a good week,” said Lake Zurich American Legion baseball manager Dan Grant, summing up the team’s 3-1 record from June 13-16.

“I’m very happy with the way these guys played – especially today,” Grant said, referring to LZ’s 9-6 win over Grayslake on Thursday, June 16. “We were missing a few of our senior varsity players who are playing at a tournament. So the fact that we still beat a very good Grayslake team is very encouraging.”

The week started inauspiciously with a 6-3 loss to Deerfield in the team’s district debut. Dan Johnsen suffered the loss, lasting six innings and striking out five, and Eddie Szarkowicz pitched the last frame. Mike Schnur went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Tanner Kiser went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

On Tuesday, the team rebounded with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Barrington, as Adam Warkenthien pitched a gem of a game, giving up a run on two hits while fanning seven in a distance-going effort. Schnur was 1-for-3 and drove in both runs, and Kyle Sanders went 2-for-3 with two singles.

On Wednesday, Post 964 defeated Wauconda for the third time in 10 days with a solid 7-2 win. Starter Mike Irgang was dominant, striking out 10 and yielding just four hits. Ben Gullo and Mitch Tuthill were the team’s offensive stars with two hits apiece, and Tuthill and Schnur each slammed triples. Tuthill paced the team with three runs scored, and Gullo had a pair of RBIs.

On Thursday, Post 964 won its third straight game with a solid 9-5 victory over visiting Grayslake. Starter Brian Wiest gave up more offense than either Warkenthien or Irgang had, but he also pitched with tremendous heart, getting himself out of several jams by repeatedly challenging Grayslake’s hitters. He yielded four runs on 10 hits before gassing out with two down in the top of the seventh. Jeremy Reusch, who usually is behind the plate but was in the lineup as the DH, came in and struck out pinch hitter Jackson White with the sacks packed to preserve the victory.

Grayslake jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Ryan Hamrick hit Wiest’s first offering to right field for a single. Derek Idstein followed with a double to deep left, driving in Hamrick. After Jon Gurchak hit a fly to right to move Idstein to third, pitcher Mark Gawinski grounded to third baseman Jon Zurek, driving in Idstein.

Wiest got himself into further hot water when he gave up an infield single to cleanup hitter Brandon Fern. Catcher Kyle Balling then lofted a single to right, advancing Fern to third. Wiest then hit Ed Tatera with a pitch before fanning third baseman Mark Ash to end the threat.

“Brian pitched himself out of some tough spots tonight,” said Grant. “He kept battling and ended up holding Grayslake to a lot less runs than they might have had.”

Lake Zurich got a run back in its half of the first when right fielder Tuthill led off with a single past Grayslake shortstop Idstein. Jacob LaRue then hit a Texas-leaguer to short right-center, moving Tuthill to third. LaRue subsequently was thrown out at second with Tanner Kiser at the plate, but Tuthill scored on the double steal attempt.

Grayslake tacked on a run in the top of the third when Tatera clouted a two-out double deep into the gap in right-center. After Ash walked, Nick Hosford reached on an error when second baseman Tim Sayre overthrew to Kiser at first, allowing Tatera to score.

Grayslake added another run in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Idstein, who had two solid doubles in his first two at-bats, bunted toward third for a single. After Gurchak popped out to Kiser, Idstein stole second and then third with Gawinski at bat. While Gawinski eventually grounded out to LaRue at short, holding Idstein at third, Fern singled past Kiser into right field to drive him in.

Post 964 roared back with a five-run rally in its half of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. What was most impressive is that all the damage occurred with two outs. Left fielder Luke Romanello led off with a walk, but then catcher Dan O’Connor and Ian Ryan, pinch hitting for Tuthill, struck out. LaRue kept things going by singling up the middle, as did Kiser, scoring Romanello.

Sayre then lined a single that glanced off pitcher Gawinski, bringing LaRue home. Center fielder Dan Johnsen then singled to the first baseman Gurchak, who was forced to hold his throw because Gawinski failed to cover the base. That set the stage for dangerous Jeremy Reusch, who launched a triple to deep center, bringing in Kiser, Sayre and Johnsen.

Lake Zurich added three more runs in the sixth off reliever Austin Leggit, and again all of the damage transpired with two outs. After Collin Roto, batting for Romanello, and Swanson, pinch hitting for O’Connor, both fanned, Ryan drew a walk. LaRue then singled into right field, moving Ryan to third. After a wild pitch brought in Ryan, Kiser walked. Sayre then hammered a double to deep center, allowing LaRue and Kiser to score.

It looked as if more damage would be done, as Johnsen walked and Reusch was beaned to load the bases. But Zurek whiffed to limit the damage to three runs.

Grayslake refused to go quietly in the seventh. After Gurchak walked, Leggit singled up the middle off Wiest. When Fern grounded to Sayre at second to drive in Gurchak, the force on Leggit was made, but a potential double play was dashed when the ball was overthrown to Kiser at first.

After Balling struck out for the second out, Wiest tattooed Tatera and Laughlin stroked a single. Grant, who wanted Wiest to get the complete game, finally brought in Reusch to get the final out.

Post Script: Post 964 had a number of clutch at-bats by different hitters, but Tim Sayre, Jeremy Reusch and Jacob LaRue were the biggest offensive stars of the game. Sayre went 2-for-3 with a single, a double and three RBI; Reusch was 2-for-3 with a single and his big three-run triple. LaRue went 3-for-4 with three singles.

Next Up: Lake Zurich hosts Fox Lake at 6 p.m. today at Lake Zurich High School. The team travels to Bowen Park in Waukegan to play that town’s team at 8 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday, it’s back home for a 6 p.m. start against Gurnee, and on Thursday, they host Libertyville at 6 p.m.