MSL title game promises to be power-packed showcase

The Elk Grove and Fremd softball teams have been knocking the ball out of the park all season.

They've done it at a school record-setting pace - Elk Grove with 31 homers and Fremd with 25.

Even when they played each other in a Mid-Suburban League crossover last month, there were 3 homers hit in a 4-2 Grens home victory.

But when Elk Grove (30-3) and Fremd (26-4) meet in the 37th annual MSL title game at 4:30 p.m. today in Palatine, neither coach is concerned about whether his team belts a longball.

They'll take runs any way they can. After all, the hitters are facing some of the best pitchers in the state.

"I think the pitchers are so good," said Elk Grove's Ken Grams, the second-winningest coach in Illinois with 710 career victories. "Our two girls have pitched very well, and Lena (Brottman) has done an outstanding job ever since she stepped on the field for Fremd."

Brottman, a senior, is 23-2 with a 0.46 ERA. She has 216 strikeouts in 138 innings while giving up 82 hits and 9 walks.

The school's all-time winningest pitcher and strikeout leader has 10 shutouts.

Elk Grove features senior Stephanie Maday (15-1, 0.98, 130 strikeouts in 110 innings) and sophomore Dani Goranson (15-2, 1.20 ERA, 152 strikeouts in 102 innings).

"You never know," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver when asked if a home run will make a difference today. "It's Fremd and Elk Grove for the MSL title. It will be a great game for both teams. It's a great game to play before the playoffs. If we execute our game, we like our chances."

Both teams sport .300 hitters up and down the lineup.

Fremd is led by Kristine Werling (.500, 30 runs), Allie Gaeding (.446, 26 runs), Lauren Zaworski (.417, 37 RBI), Jenny Schneider (.417, 31 RBI), Alexa Cinquegrani (.444, 37 RBI), Kelly Voigt (.371), Megan Hubbard (.403, 29 runs), Tess Dinterman (.351) and Caitlin Patenaude (.324).

"We are going to have to play well," Weaver said. "We must defend our positions and get timely hits."

Jessica Balzano (.584, 25 RBI), who has a hit in all 31 games she has played, leads the Grens. She is followed by Olivia Roback (.416, 30 RBI), Devan Parkison (.394. 30 RBI), Goranson (.360, 16 RBI), Becca Walz (.342, 18 RBI), Kristen Cetkovic (.338, 25 RBI), Megan Keegan (.333, 25 RBI) Amanda Gattone (.320) and Krista Soesbe (.310, 14 RBI).

"I don't want to say there won't be any homers," Grams said. "Both lineups are capable."

Walz and Roback hit solo homers when the Grens defeated Fremd the first time, while Hubbard belted a 2-run blast for the Vikings.

"That last game was a very well-played game," Grams said. "I see no reason to expect this one to be any different.

"Lena is just an impressive young lady. She has given up just 9 walks all season. We'd like to think our pitchers are impressive, too."

Of the 18 outs Brottman recorded last time against Fremd, 14 were strikeouts.

"That's the downside," Grams said. "The plus side was we had 9 hits. To be able to get 9 hits against someone as good as her, that's good."

Cetkovic leads Elk Grove with 8 homers, followed by Roback (7), Walz (5), Goranson (3), Balzano (3), Soesbe (2), Maday (1), Megan Keegan (1), Parkison (1) and Katie Keegan (1).

Leading Fremd in the home run department are Zaworski and Hubbard with 6 apiece, followed by Dinterman (4), Cinquegrani (4), Schneider (3) and Voigt (2).

Grams is also aware the Vikings can run the bases. Werling has swiped 22 bases and Gaeding has 13.

"They have good team speed,"Grams said. "That's a concern of ours. We must be aware of that.

"And without question they have a good lineup. Every batter can do damage. You can't make a lot of defensive mistakes."

Where and when: Fremd High School, 4:30 p.m. today

Who: East champ Elk Grove (30-3, 15-1) vs. West champ Fremd (26-4, 14-2)

History: Elk Grove won the MSL crown in 1982, 1991, 2001 and 2009. The Grenadiers are making a record 17th appearance in the title game; Fremd won in 2000 and 2002. The Vikings are making their sixth appearance.

Head-to-head: Fremd won 1-0 in 11 innings in 2000. Elk Grove won 1-0 in 2001. Fremd won 3-2 in 8 innings in 2002.