LIBERTYVILLE -- The Mundelein Mustangs rode the arms of pitcher Eric Rohe and center fielder Dillon Smith to a 4-2 win over Libertyville Tuesday.
In the North Suburban Conference Lake Division opener for both teams, Rohe outdueled junior Troy Barton of Libertyville, with both hurlers going the distance.
Mixing a wicked breaking ball with his fastball, Rohe won his fifth game of the year against no defeats as Mundelein improved its impressive record to 10-1 on the year.
Rohe fanned 8, 4 on curveballs while walking 3 and yielding just 3 hits. He was still going strong in the last inning when he snapped off a few breaking balls to strike out the first two hitters he faced.
Barton struck out 5, walked 3 and gave up 5 hits.
But perhaps the most impressive strike of the day came from Mundelein's junior center fielder Smith, who gunned down Libertyville's Jeremy Butler at home plate with a perfect one-hop throw that killed a Wildcats rally.
Libertyville was trailing 4-2 at the time. Butler reached on an error and advanced to second on a one-out fielder's choice. Chase Guarnaccio then singled solidly up the middle. Smith charged the ball in textbook fashion and uncorked a beautiful throw to get Butler by plenty to end the inning. It would be the last Libertyville threat of the day.
"That was obviously a big turning point in the game, said Mundelein coach Todd Parola. "He threw a strike and that was obviously a big play in the game to end the inning. They were threatening ..."
Mundelein scored all of its runs in the third inning, drawing first blood on three hits, two walks and a costly bases-loaded error that allowed the first run of the game to cross the plate.
A fielder's choice scored the second run for Mundelein and a walk followed before Jack Walliser ripped a two-run single to left field.
Libertyville scored both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth on a double by Joey Aiello, a walk to Lee Gough, a wild pitch and a subsequent throw into left field by the catcher.
"My curveball was really working today," said Rohe, who has won half of his team's games thus far. "I probably threw as many curveballs as fastballs."
"... I thought he maybe threw a little bit too much off-speed stuff ... he could have thrown a few more fastballs," said Parola of his ace, who was 6-5 as a junior. "But he really kept them off balance. When he pitches we're very, very competitive. He's durable and he's got a rubber arm."
Libertyville is now 6-4 on the season and plays its rival down the road, Carmel, at 4 p.m. today at Carmel.
Mundelein is on the road today against Wauconda.
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