Libertyville, Prairie Ridge advance
Libertyville will host Prairie Ridge at 2 p.m. Thursday in the finals of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association-sanctioned Libertyville Regional.
The winner will advance to the eight-team state finals next week.
On Wednesday, Libertyville held off Lake Zurich 12-8 and Prairie Ridge pounded Warren 10-3 in the semifinals.
In Libertyville’s win, Kevin Calamari did yeoman work on the mound, going 6.2 innings in near-100 degree heat.
He was staked to a 9-0 after two innings, and made it hold up.
Warren wasn’t as fortunate. Prairie Ridge raced out to a 9-1 lead after three frames and coasted home.
Warren starter Pat Kenney was sunk by control problems and some loose play in the field behind him.
He lasted 2.1 innings, throwing 79 pitches and allowing nine runs — four earned. He fanned two, walked two and hit two.
Warren’s offense was provided by Anthony Garza. He was 2-for-3, with a long two-run homer that made it 9-3 in the fourth.
Defensively, Warren struggled, committing five errors in the first three innings as every infielder committed at least one miscue.
“We’re kind of young in the infield and didn’t make a lot of plays behind Pat,” said Warren coach Clint Smothers. “Give credit to Prairie Ridge. They’re a good team and they did everything well and beat us.”
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