Fremd rallies in Rosemont

Fremd softball coach Jim Weaver has seen his team scrap back from deficits all season.

The big stage of Friday Night Lights at the Rosemont Stadium hardly put a cramp into the Vikings' penchant for coming back.

Weaver used three pitchers, and it was senior Lea Barrett getting the final out of the game to give Fremd an 8-6 victory over Crystal Lake Central on Friday night.

The Vikings trailed 4-1 and 6-2 before rallying to finish the regular season with a 26-6 record.

The Tigers had already scored 2 runs in the top of the fifth and still had the bases loaded when Fremd pulled off a defensive gem. Third baseman Holly Straup fielded a grounder, threw home to catcher Lexi D'Ambrosio, who threw to first baseman Julia Wacker for the big inning- ending double play.

"That really got us pumped up to have some good at-bats the next inning," said Fremd veteran Julie Josten.

The Vikes answered with 4 runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 6-6.

Abby Iuorio started the inning with a double and came home on Josten's triple to deep right center field.

"I struggled my first two at-bats," Josten said. "I was just trying to make adjustments and get the run in.""

Junior first baseman Julia Wacker (2-for-3) followed with a double, also to right center, to score Josten and cut the deficit to 6-4.

Pinch runner Jenny Josten came home on Reagan Schneider's single up the middle and eventually scored on an infield hit by Kylie Hess to tie the game.

Fremd got the go ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Becca Uhrich started the rally when she got hit by a pitch. Iuorio followed with a bunt single.

With one out, Josten (2-for-4) came through again with a single to right to score Uhrich.

Iuorio then came home on a wild pitch to give closer Barrett a 2-run cushion.

Barrett retired the side in order in the seventh, getting a nice scoop from Wacker at first for the first out. She then recorded a strikeout followed by a heads-up play by second baseman Uhrich for the final out.

Wacker drove to her right for a grounder that just eluded her glove. Uhrich ended up fielding the ball and raced over to first base herself to beat the runner."

"It was a little too exciting, no doubt," Weaver said. "I'm really proud of the way the kids battled. We've done that often so I was not surprised. It's a great group of kids."

The Vikes had great fan spirit in the stands of the facility that plays home to the Chicago Bandits progressional women's softball team. After the game, the Vikings' players and coaches threw T-shirts to their fans behind the first base dugout.

Freshman Nikki Kehoe pitched the first four innings while Hailey Goodwin (5-1) picked up the win by throwing the fifth and sixth innings when Fremd made its big rally.

"Our three pitchers all said it was hard getting their feet adjusted on the turf," Weaver said. "But they battled through it and got us enough outs to win the game. I thought we p; aged pretty well defensively."

Hess made a nice throw fro right field to shortstop Schneider to force a runner in the top pf the sixth.

Alyssa Garcia walked and eventually scored Fremd's first run in the first inning for the 1-0 lead before CLC scored 4 in the top of the second.

"This sets us up for the state playoffs," Josten said. "Because games are going to be like this."

Barrington 3, New Trier 1: Junior Jenna Fingerman's team-high seventh homer of the season was the difference in the Fillies' final regular-season game.

After Rachel Macdonald led off the top of the fourth with a walk and advanced to second on Rachel Krzysko's sacrifice bunt, Fingerman hit a 2-run blast over the left field fence for the 2-0 lead.,

Barrington (27-6) made it 3-0 in the top of the fifth when Carly Kordich led off with a single and went to third on Kelly Katis' base hit. Kordich then scooted home on a passed ball.

Senior Keenan Dolezal (26-6) threw a 3-hitter with 6 strikeouts to raise her career record to 85-20.

Maine West 8, Leyden 5: Kayla Pociejewski (3-for-4, double), winning pitcher Grace Feldkamp (2-for-4, 2 doubles), Alyssa Pegoraro (4-for-4, double), Jamie Travis (2-for-4, double) and AnnMarie Weber (2-for-4) led the offense for Maine West in the nonconference victory on Des Plaines.

Allison Pearson also doubled for West.

Junior Kendall Duwall belted a 3-run homer for Leyden in the top of the second.

St. Francis 4, St. Viator 3; St. Viator tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth after singles by Cam VanValkenburg and Aryana Ziakas. Olivia Michalik then drove in the first run with a single and Haley Robinson drove in the tying run with a ground out to the right side.

The Lions kept the game close thanks to some strong defense. Left fielder Krystal Harris made a shoestring catch in the first and threw out a runner at the plate in the third.

Shortstop Aryana Ziakas also turned in a gem as she snared a ground ball up the middle, then executed a perfect spin-o-rama to edge the runner at first and keep the game tied.

St. Francis pushed across a run in the fifth and sixth innings.

Viator almost the game tied the in the seventh when VanValkenburg doubled for her second hit and Ziakas drew her third walk of the age. Grace Kaiser then singled to center to drive in the third run but the tying run was thrown out at the plate.