LAKE FOREST, Ill.–After dropping their first two conference games of the season, the Scouts came out with a sort of intensity Wednesday evening that was unmatched in any of their prior contests. They welcomed the (6-2) Warren Blue Devils to Varsity Field Wednesday night in search of an upset to turn their season around. The Scouts climbed out to an early lead, but the offense was by no means the story of the night. The story of the night was their ace starting pitcher, junior Peter Turelli, who finished the night by completing one of the most spectacular feats in baseball.
After a strong defensive performance in the top half of the inning, Lake Forest wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Caleb Durbin opened the evening with a single, then stole second to get into scoring position. With one out, Drew Golde picked up the first and only RBI of the game with a double to right field. One run did not seem like it would be enough at the time, but little did either team know that it would make the difference in a nail-biting game.
The Scouts’ pitching and defensive units have been solid all season, but it was nothing like it was on Wednesday night. Peter Turelli was dominant. Warren had plenty of trouble even getting the ball in play, and when they did, it would be swallowed up by the Scouts’ consistent defensive seven behind the battery. Turelli had some gems of his own as well. He managed to knock down every comebacker to him, which prevented a few singles from rolling into center field. Coach Ray Del Fava opted to keep him in for the duration of the game, which is rare, especially with the Scouts’ upcoming schedule and the IHSA pitch count rules. Turelli, however showed no signs of fatigue or slowing down. In the final inning, when most pitchers lose their no hit bids due to a lack of focus, he forced two quick ground outs and one pop out, securing the second no-hitter of his varsity career and the Scouts first conference win of the season.
This is what a no-hitter battery looks like. Congrats, Peter and Brady. #emptyyourcup pic.twitter.com/YuOnEucONX
— rdelfava (@rdelfava) April 12, 2018
He finished the night with five strikeouts and two walks. Although this was a great way to get the their second win of the season, not everything went perfect for Lake Forest.
The offensive struggles continued Wednesday night. Of the nine players who played Wednesday night, seven failed to record a hit. Caleb Durbin, who was a home run away from the cycle, gave Lake Forest plenty of scoring chances, but only once were they able to get him across the plate. In total, the team had 8 at-bats with runners in scoring position, and only one managed to get the job done. Their situational hitting needs to improve in order to go on a win streak, especially against Stevenson and other formidable opponents in the near future. Once this team figures themselves out offensively, they could become one of the most dangerous teams in the conference.
Lake Forest will travel to Stevenson High School tomorrow evening to take on the Patriots in a make up game from early on in the season. They will then take the Patriots on at home on Friday. Stay tuned to The Forest Scout for the latest news and recaps regarding the varsity baseball team.
