Softball: Barrington tops Warren for Fling title

Thursday was the tenth championship game in the history of Barrington's Spring Fling.

It didn't seem like a spring thing, though, due to the weather.

It was too cold for that, but the Fillies softball team stayed hot with their fourth straight win to open the season.

Barrington also won for the eighth time in its own eight-team event, defeating 2015 tourney champ Warren in the title game for the second straight year.

But this year's game had plenty more suspense than a year ago, when the Fillies won 26-5 in 5 innings.

This time, Barrington had to rally from a 6-1 deficit after four innings to post a 9-6 triumph over the Blue Devils.

"These early season games against strong competition will help us," said Barrington coach Perry Peterson. "We battled back after struggling early and that is a credit to these girls. They never gave up - good for them."

Warren gave its sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Britton (2-1), a Central Michigan recruit, the 6-1 cushion after four innings.

The Blue Devils jumped ahead 3-1 after one inning.

Home runs in the second inning by Ashlynn Kitter and Claire Swedberg made it 5-1 before an RBI single Kayla Nommenson made it 6-1 in the third inning.

"We've hit pretty well so far and getting people on base," said Warren coach Jenna Charbonneau. "That was the difference this game. We did that the first three innings but not the last four. We've got to string hits together better."

The Fillies (4-0) were the ones stringing the hits in the fifth and sixth innings when they scored 8 of their 9 runs.

"We had to go up there and change what we were doing because up to that point we were not effective," Krzysko said. "We just gained more energy and team spirit."

The Fillies cut the deficit to 6-3 with 2 runs in the fifth inning, thanks to Abbey Jacobsen's 2-run homer over the left-field fence.

Barrington went right back to work in the sixth, scoring its final 6 runs.

The Fillies loaded the bases when Jenna Patino and Julia Kozar singled to left and Tori Meyer reached on an outfield error.

Rachel Mori's RBI fielder's choice grounder to third made it 6-4 before a one-out 2-run single by Krzysko tied the game.

Pinch runner Katherine Stagnito scored on Jacobsen's RBI grounder before Leyden Atlas (3-for-4) blasted a 2-run, two-out homer over the center-field fence to give sophomore Tori Meyer a 3-run cushion.

Meyer came into the game with one out in the bottom of the second inning and her team trailing 4-1 to relieve Catherine McMahon (3-0).

"Tori did a great job out of the bullpen," Peterson said. "We know we have three kids (Meyer, McMahon and Caroline Hoppe) who can pitch effectively for us. Things just came out our way."

Kayla Nommensen led Warren (2-1) at the plate by going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, a double and a walk. Swedberg also had multiple hits, going 2-for-4 and reaching base three times.

"They're a good team, and we had 7 errors," Charbonneau said. "You've got to keep scoring on a team like that. We got out to a good start and then kind of sat on it. You can't do that against a team like Barrington."

Meyer earned her first win of the season for Barrington.

"I was just a little nervous," said the all-area guard for coach Babbi Barreiro's girls basketball team. "But I knew my team had my back. I just had to trust my skills and my pitches were feeling good in warm-ups so I just kept using them in the game.

"We've got some really good hitters so I just trusted my team."