Walker helps Schaumburg take another step forward

Like any successful hitter, Schaumburg catcher Elaine Walker doesn't step into the batter's box thinking 'home run.'

"I just go up there thinking hit the ball hard - line drives," said the Saxons' leadoff batter. "If it goes out, it goes out."

Suffice it to say, they've been going out and Walker is going out in style in her senior year.

She belted a Mid-Suburban League record 21st home run on the second pitch she saw on Thursday, and teammate Kaiden Jackson belted an RBI double to center in the second inning giving Paige Alt all the runs she would need in a 2-1 victory over visiting Fremd.

Walker's 21 homers are currently fourth-best in a single season for an Illinois high school softball player.

Taylor Odom (Goreville) hit 24 in 2012 while Lauren Smith of O'Fallon (2011) and Stephanie Abello of Benet (2014) hit 22 in a season.

Walker's blast also helped the Saxons tie the MSL single-season record for home runs of 54, set by Barrington in 2013.

MSL East leader Elk Grove (23-7. 9-4) has 51 homers this spring. The state record is 65 held by Benet in 2014.

"It was a great team win against a very good team," said Saxons coach Ellen Abreu, whose club (23-1, 14-0) can clinch the Mid-Suburban League West crown with a victory at Barrington (24-5, 12-2) on Friday.

That 'team' win was never more evident than when Saxons junior pitcher Paige Alt took a hard one-hopper off her knee area.

The ball rolled toward first baseman Christina Candotti. The junior scooped it up and dove to first to make the putout on the speedy Alyssa Garcia.

"That hurt," said Alt, who shook it off and finished the game strong with a 3-hitter and 10 strikeouts. "Christina did a great job making that play.

"The key is everyone staying confident. We just had to play clean defense because we knew they were a great hitting team. Michelle (Birkholz, the Saxons second baseman) made a great play, too."

Birkholz prevented Fremd (23-5, 11-3) from tying the game in the top of the sixth.

Kylie Hess reached on an error and went to second on a bunt single by Abby Iuorio, who went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot.

Reagan Schneider's sacrifice bunt got the runner to second and third before Garcia's groundout to Birkholz drove in Hess to make it 2-1. Iuorio advanced to third.

But Birkholz then made nifty stab of a bad hop off a hard-hit grounder by Julie Josten. Birkholz threw to Candotti for the putout to keep the score at 2-1.

Alt ripped a doubled down the left field liner to lead off the bottom of the sixth but Fremd freshman Nikki Kehoe (10-3) retired the next three batters.

Alt struck out the side in the top of the seventh.

"The fun part of the game to me was the work by the pitchers," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver. "Their pitcher got hit in the knee and she gutted it out to the end. Our pitcher (4 strikeouts) wasn't feeling well in the sixth and seventh inning and she gutted it out as well.

"It was a fun game to be a part of. It was 4 and 3 hits each way, and two pitchers battling to the end."

And in the end, Schaumburg was one win away from its first MSL division title since 1996 when it won the MSL South under coach Kay Winkelhake.

Alt improved to 13-0 for the season.

"Paige pitched awesome," said Walker, who also showed her defensive prowess by throwing out a runner trying to steal second for the final out of the third inning. "She was hitting all her spots."

Alt got the big hit from Walker to start the game with a 1-0 lead.

"She's (Walker) amazing," Alt said. "After we get those first three outs in the top of the first, I know Elaine is going to get us started."

Now, the Saxons hope to finish their final two conference games with a MSL divisional title.