Farina strikes again for Fremd
At 5-foot-6, Fremd junior Leigh Farina is by no stretch of the imagination a big shortstop.
But the Illinois recruit can sure swing a big bat.
For the second straight day, Farina belted 2 home runs as she went 3-for-3 with a walk in the Vikings’ 7-2 win at Elk Grove on Wednesday in the Mid-Suburban League second-place crossover.
From her first at-bat on Tuesday against Glenbrook South to her second at-bat against Elk Grove on Wednesday, Farina belted 4 homers in 6 trips to the plate.
Farina’s second blast against the Grens gave the Vikes a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
She then closed the game with a single and a walk, meaning Farina has reached base in her last 8 at-bats.
“I don’t know, I am just staying focused and being selective,” said Farina, who has 8 homers this season and 13 for her career. “I’m swinging at pitches I like instead of anything they throw me.”
Farina belted a change-up over the center field fence for her second homer.
“Leigh is locked in right now,” said Vikings coach Jim Weaver, whose team improved to 21-7. “We are swinging the bat well now as a team.,”
Senior first baseman Michelle Mazur (2-for-4) and freshman left fielder Alyssa Garcia also got into the home run parade for Fremd, which had four in the game.
Mazur’s third homer of the season and second in two days came right after Farina’s second homer, giving Fremd starter Ashylnne Schwantz a 3-0 lead after three innings.
Schwantz went on to record 4 strikeouts to senior catcher Kristine Herdegen in the first five innings, picking up her 20th win against 4 losses. Schwantz also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Her classmate Riley Zimmer threw the final two innings.
The Vikes’ lead expanded to 5-0 in the fourth when the lefty-swinging Garcia belted her first career homer, a 2-run blast over the left-field fence with Julie Josten on base (2-for-3, RBI).
“That’s something we’ve been waiting foe from Alyssa,” Weaver said. “She’s fully capable of that. She is an impact player and she is starting to believe it.”
Junior Tracy Welninski (2-for-3, RBI) doubled home Farina to make it 6-0 in the fifth before Josten doubled to right-center to drive in Josten for the 7-0 lead.
Fremd freshman designated player Molly Muhs got her first varsity hit while batting in the No. 9 spot with a single to center in the fourth inning.
Vikes senior Mandi Matsumoto (1-for-2) made her first appearance in center field since a shoulder injury in the season opener. She had only been in the batting order.
Elk Grove got it first run in the sixth when Marjorie Sloan singled home Elisa Payne.
The final run of the game was junior catcher Gina Cirrincione’s home run over the center field fence to lead off the seventh.
Making her season debut, Cirrincione also threw out a runner trying to steal third base.
“I’m happy for Gina,” said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams, who needs 3 more wins to become only the second coach in state softball history to reach 800 wins. “She had a very nice day.”
Becca Maher, Aleece Duffy, Brianna Leach, Shannon Taucher and Abbey Sloan also had hits for the Grens, who close their regular season at Providence Catholic (New Lenox) at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“I’m glad were able to play a team like Fremd and then another good one in Providence on Saturday,” Grams said. “I thought we played pretty well against a good team (Fremd) and hopefully we benefit from it.”