Softball: Iuorio drafts a winning plan for Fremd

Who else to design the winning rally but Abby Iuorio, a future engineering student at the University of Illinois?

With the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Iuorio helped create and score the winning run for her Fremd softball team.

The speedy senior left fielder beat out a bunt single. She then stole second, scooted to third on classmate Alyssa Garcia's bunt single and raced home on Julia Wacker's fielder's choice groundball for the decisive run in Fremd's 7-6 triumph over visiting Schaumburg.

"That's what they get paid for," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver, referring to his two slappers, Iuorio and Garcia, who put down perfect bunts to start the winning rally. "We've been working hard on bunting the last 10 days and it paid off today."

"It makes me so happy when the slappers can get the bunts down," said Iuorio, who was 2-for-4. "Our coaches are thrilled."

Weaver was not quite as thrilled with the defense.

But it sure came to life in the final inning when Jessica Mazur was closing out her 3⅔-innings scoreless stint to earn the win.

In the top of the seventh, Vikes catcher Lexi D'Ambrosio fielded a wild pitch off the backstop and threw out a runner trying to steal second base.

On the game's final play, first baseman Julia Wacker (2-for-3, 3 RBI) made a nifty scoop to complete a groundout that ended the game.

"Lexi's throw was excellent to second base and Julia's scoop was great," Iuorio said. "We should have won the game by more but it's nice to know we were able to fight back."

The Vikes (18-4, 9-2) fought back from a 6-3 deficit.

However, they actually led 2-0 when Wacker clubbed her sixth homer of the season with Garcia (2-for-3) on base. The 2-run shot easily cleared the right field fence, about 20 feet inside the foul line.

"It was crazy because I very rarely hit the ball down the right field line like that," said Wacker, who has 11 career homers. "What a game. I love playing Schaumburg. It's always so competitive and we really get hyped up for these games with them."

Schaumburg (14-7, 8-3) took advantage of 3 errors and base hits by Paige Alt and Christina Candotti to score 4 runs in the top of the third.

Michelle Birkholz, Kaiden Jackson (2 doubles in the game), Alt and Candotti all crossed the plate.

Mazur's double to the left center gap drove home Wacker to make it 4-3 in the bottom of the third before Alt (9-5) struck out the next two batters.

The Saxons gained their 6-3 cushion in the top of the fourth on Alt's 2-run double to left field which scored Jackson and Birkholz.

Weaver brought Mazur to the mound with one out in the inning, and the sophomore right-hander got the final two batters on groundouts to Holly Straup at third base.

The Vikings then tied the game with 3 runs in the bottom of the of the fifth, thanks to RBI singles by Reagan Schneider and Ann Marie O'Sullivan.

Schneider also was part of a defensive gem (8-6-2) when she took a relay throw from center fielder Garcia and threw a strike to D'Ambrosio to catch a runner trying to score in the second inning.

Fremd also scored a run in its 3-run fifth inning when Mazur reached on an outfield error allowing Wacker to score.

"We just put it together as a team," said Mazur, who raised her record to 5-1. "And we strung the hits and runs together at the right time."

"That was really a nice job (1 hit in 3⅔ innings) by Jess," Weaver said. "We've got to clean up the defense a little but offensively I was happy with our bats, getting 9 hits against a great pitcher like Paige Alt."

Alt showed her great hitting ability, too, going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. She struck out five.

"Two great teams" said Schaumburg coach Ellen Abreu. "We capitalized on some of their mistakes and they capitalized on some of ours. At the end of the day, we fell a little short."

With the help of the short ball by Fremd.