Baseball: Dar Townsend dominant; Ryan Borucki on comeback trail
Updated: May 2, 2012 9:47PM
Libertyville sent two messages to the area’s best club on Wednesday:
First message: the North Suburban Lake race isn’t over, as Libertyville’s 5-3 win over Mundelein made the Wildcats 6-2 in the division (15-8 overall) while the Mustangs are 7-1 and 21-4.
Second message: should the teams meet down the road in the Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional, the Cats aren’t going to show up just to show up. They’re in it to win it.
“After yesterday’s game (a 15-3 slaughter for Mundelein), we wanted this one and we knew we absolutely needed it,” said Libertyville pitcher Dar Townsend, who worked six shutout innings, yielding four hits and then announced he’ll pitch in college at NCAA Division 3 Augustana in the Quad Cities.
Michael Rogers relieved Townsend in the seventh, and was pounded for three runs on four hits, before retiring Chris Maranto on a hard liner to right to end it.
“It wasn’t like he was over 100 (pitches) but he was in the high 80s. With a five-run lead, there was no reason to keep him in,” said winning coach Jim Schurr.
Libertyville got its runs off Matt Langlie (5 1/3 innings pitched, earned run, nine hits) and Zach Pawlowski.
But the big news from the Mundelein side was that ace pitcher Ryan Borucki — headed to Iowa in the fall — is back on the practice mound throwing in hopes of seeing game action at some point.
Borucki had been shut down (he now plays first base) when it was determined he needed Tommy John arm surgery. But he got a second opinion, and was told he can resume throwing.
“He’s starting to throw a little off the mound,” Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. “He went for a second opinion and got the green light to throw slowly and gradually.
“He’s going to see how it feels. He’s got a slight (ligament) tear. We’re hoping to get him back toward the end of the year, which would certainly change things.
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