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Production continues as Fremd handles New Trier

The offense for Fremd's softball team has gone to work for 13 innings this first week of the season.

How's this for productivity?

Out of those 13 innings have come 45 runs, 40 hits and three wins.

The third victory came on Thursday when the Vikings fell behind 4-0 to traditional power New Trier and stormed back for a 14-4 nonconference triumph in five innings.

The Trevians, playing their first game of the season, got 1 run in the first and 3 more in the second before the hosts answered with 6 in the bottom of the second, the first of back-to-back innings in which they batted around the order.

Fremd sophomore second baseman Becca Uhrich belted a bases-loaded line drive double to the right center gap to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Junior catcher Holly Straup tied the game with a single to left that scored Uhrich before a two-out single to center by Reagan Schneider (2-for-3, 3 RBI) made it 6-4 after two innings.

"I wasn't necessarily worried when we fell behind (4-0) because I knew there was a lot of time to catch up," said Straup, who was 2-for-3 with 4 RBI. "And that line drive double by Becca really got us going."

Straup kept things going in the third inning when she belted a towering two-out 3-run homer over the center field fence to make it 11-4.

The Vikes (3-0) came up with 3 more runs in the fourth, thanks to a 3-run two-out triple by Alyssa Garcia (1-for-3, 4 RBI) to left center which scored Abby Iuorio (2-for-2, 3 runs, 2 walks), Julia Wacker (2-for-3) and Kylie Hess (1-for-1, 2 walks).

Freshman Nikki Kehoe (1-0) made her first varsity start a wining one by tossing a 5-hitter, and finishing with 3 scoreless innings against a tough-hitting Trevians' lineup.

"She (Kehoe) did a nice job," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver. "She gave up 4 runs early but we made some mistakes behind her. She did a really nice job of executing the things we wanted her to do.

"This was a good start for Nikki. It's not easy for a freshman facing New Trier."

Wacker coincidentally faced New Trier a few weeks ago in one of Fremd's biggest girls basketball games in school history.

She came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer and score 8 points when the Vikes stopped New Trier in the Class 4A semifinal at Illinois State.

"It was fun to go up against them again," said the junior first baseman. "They're always a great team no matter what the sport. Our bats have really been hot so far."

Straup's homer was the second of her career, after hitting one last spring as a sophomore .

"It (home run swing) was off a good pitch," she said. "And it was a full count so I had to swing."

Weaver likes how his players are swinging the bat so far.

"We preach to the kids about quality at-bats," he said. "And they've taken well to that well and started out well. But that's all it is - a start."

The Vikes finished with seven girls getting at least one hit and eight reaching base.

"They did a nice job of playing small ball," said New Trier coach Jon Cadwell. "We have a talented infield but it's pretty inexperienced so it will take some time to play against teams that are so aggressive and fast.

"We put too many runners on base. I was very happy with how we hit the ball although we let up a little at the end. But this group will do some good things in time. We have some great all-around players."

  Fremd's Abby Iuorio steals second in the first inning as New Trier's Lily Novak is late with the tag in Thursday at Fremd. The Vikes beat New Trier 14-4 in five innings. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Becca Uhrich shares a laugh with her teammates after her second-inning double cleared the bases with two outs, starting a big rally as the Viking went on to a 14-4 victory in 5 innings. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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