Post 964 Goes 2-2 After Big Barrington Tourney Win

After winning the Barrington Tournament last weekend by taking three of four games, Post 964 went 2-2 this week, which wraps up the busiest portion of its schedule.

Starting with a 6-3 loss to Gurnee on June 22, Lake Zurich played 10 games in eight days. After Thursday’s contest, a 7-1 loss to Deerfield, the team takes a well-deserved holiday break, as its next game isn't until July 5, when Lake Zurich hosts district rival Barrington.

Post 964 started the tournament with a 7-6 loss to Arlington Heights on June 24, but went 3-0 after that. They won the next day, defeating Colchester, Vt., 7-1. On Sunday they won their morning game, beating New Lenox 10-4. In the afternoon, they rallied to beat Bristol, Ind., 10-9, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh.

“We were down 9-3 at one point,” said coach Dan Grant. “To come back and win that game was really something.”

On June 27, the team extended its winning streak to four games, edging Lake Forest 9-8 in a district face-off. Tanner Kiser homered and doubled, Jeremy Reusch went 4-for-4 and Mike Schnur 3-for-4. On Tuesday, Lake Zurich’s streak snapped in a 3-1 loss to Zion. Starter Adam Warkenthein allowed just four hits, but Post 964 managed just three hits themselves. Brian Wiest had the team's lone RBI.

LZ rebounded on Wednesday with a 7-5 victory over host Mundelein. Mark Dorfman, Kyle Sanders and Brian Wiest each had two hits and Eddie Szarkowicz, normally used in relief, went 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs and nine hits, while striking out seven and walking four. None of Szarkowicz’s runs were earned.

On Thursday at Stevenson High School, Lake Zurich lost 7-1 to host Deerfield, a very good team consisting of rival Stevenson players. It was Lake Zurich's second loss of the season to Deerfield; the team suffered a 6-3 loss to them on June 13.

“We knew we’d have trouble against Deerfield," said Grant. “They have a lot of really good players and they’re a well-coached team. We knew that with some of our better players not playing tonight, it would be tough."

Deerfield scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when leadoff hitter Tony Heiser lined a single up the middle. Second baseman Jack Karras then singled past first, as Heiser took third. Billy Sullivan flied out to center fielder Mitch Tuthill, driving in Heiser. Nick Constantini ended the inning when he also flied out to Tuthill, who made a nice lunging catch.

Post 964 tied it up in their half of the second by playing some Ozzie Guillen-style small ball. Collin Roto started things off by beating out a hit to the shortstop Scott Robin. Brian Wiest followed with a bunt single and Roto flew all the way to third. Mike Mulder also bunted his way on, driving in Roto.

Deerfield jumped out to a 4-1 lead in their half of the third. Karras led off with a double to deep right-center. He might have had a triple, were it not for a laser throw by right fielder Mark Dorfman. Sullivan then singled in Karras and Constantini singled past a diving first baseman Brian Wiest. Third baseman Merrick Singer then doubled over Dorfman’s head in deep right field, scoring a pair.

Post 964 managed three hits in the top of the fourth, but couldn’t put any runs across. Kyle Sanders led off with a single, followed by Dorfman’s short double, able to leg it out to second with Sanders holding at third. Roto then singled to load the bases, but Wiest fanned and Mulder hit into a 5-2-3 double play, as third baseman Singer fielded the grounder and fired to Sullivan at the plate for one out. Sullivan then threw to first to double up Mulder.

Deerfield rallied for three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Costantini doubled to deep center, but was doubled up when Singer’s bunt attempt was caught by LZ pitcher Dan Johnsen, who wheeled and threw to second to nab Constantini, who was halfway to third.

Deerfield kept it going by getting three consecutive two-out singles. But the real damage was caused by a passed ball by LZ catcher Jeremy Reusch and a wild pitch by Johnsen, as both gaffes allowed a run to score.

“We’re trying to get some of the players to play cleaner,” said coach Grant. “Some of our plays on defense can be a little off, not enough focus.”

Post script: With the season now past the halfway point, Post 964 coach Dan Grant is looking ahead to the 10th District playoffs. “We have a battle right now to make the playoffs,” said Grant. “Four of the six teams from the district get in, and we still have five games against teams in our district. We still have two games against Fox Lake and a game against Wauconda, who are both behind us in the standings. So we control our own destiny.”

Next up: Lake Zurich hosts Barrington on July 5 and Wauconda on July 6. Both games start at 6 p.m. On July 8, the team travels to Eau Claire, Wis., for another four-game tournament that runs from July 8-10. Post 964 will play a game at 7:30 Friday, followed by a 10 a.m. game Saturday and a matinee game at 12:30 p.m. The team plays its final game at 11 a.m. Sunday.