Softball: Barrington wins a big one

The girl wearing jersey No. 1 for the top team in the Daily Herald's softball rankings came through in a big way on Thursday at the Fields of Dreams in Barrington.

Fillies junior third baseman Kendall Peterson broke a scoreless game with a 3-run homer over the right-center field fence in the bottom of the third inning and Barrington went on to defeat visiting Fremd 5-1 in the Mid-Suburban West showdown.

It was Barrington's 11th win without a loss and raised the Fillies' record to 4-0 in the West, while Fremd stands at 6-3 and 2-2.

Peterson's third career homer and second this season came after Fremd starter Jess Mazur struck out four in 2⅓ innings.

After one out, Caroline Hoppe (1-for-1) started the rally with her first of 2 walks and Jenna Patino was then hit by a pitch.

Peterson worked the count to 2-1 and then delivered the game-winning RBI.

"I was just trying to stay loose, stay positive and have a green-light mentality," said Peterson, a Northwestern recruit. "I just wanted to deliver in the clutch for my team because I knew it was going to be a close game."

"It is important to be great in pressure moments of the game," said Barrington coach and father of Kendall, Perry Peterson, whose career record ran to 790-184. "And that one moment changed the outcome of the game. Good for the Fillies, Good for Kendall."

Kendall Peterson is a three-year starter for the Fillies.

"Fremd is one of our greatest opponents and I respect them so much," she said. "They're tough. We just came through and Caroline (Hoppe) gave us clutch hitting in the sixth inning (with a 2-run single to make it 5-1).

Senior Catherine McMahon (5-0) worked the first 5⅔ innings for the win while Tori Meyer picked up the save with 3 strikeouts in the final 1⅓ innings.

"Fremd has a great offense and our pitchers held them to only 1 run," Kendall Peterson added. "We are headed in the right direction."

Senior Grace Stevens' solo blast over the left-center field fence to lead off the top of fourth inning cut the Barrington lead to 3-1.

But McMahon retired seven of the next eight batters before Meyer got the final out of the top of the sixth with Mazur and Lexi D'Ambrosio on first and second base via walks.

"After we got the big hit (Peterson's homer) to get the lead, we wiggled out of couple of situations," Perry Peterson said. "And we had the quality pitching from two great kids, with McMahon getting the win and Meyer the save. And Caroline came through with the clutch hit at the end."

Hoppe's single to right scored Katherine Stagnito (who had doubled to left) and McMahon (pinch running for Maria Gryzlo, who had walked).

"She (Hoppe) is really coming on strong," said Perry Peterson of the Central Florida recruit who plays center field and pitches.

Fremd's Mazur went the first 5⅓ innings (6 strikeouts) and Nikki Kehoe finished for Fremd.

"Just one pitch," said Fremd coach Josh Teschner. "Overall, we felt good about what we did in the circle. They are a relentless team. It's not like they strung together 10 or 12 hits. They did what was necessary. They ran the bases well and put their hits together and that's what we did not do today."

Stevens ended up with two of Fremd's 3 hits as she went 2-for-3 and was robbed on her third at-bat by a diving catch by Barrington right fielder Jessica Bellis.

The other hit for Fremd came off the bat of Kaylee Goluch, who singled to center to lead off the top of the fifth.

"I loved our approach at the plate," Teschner added. "I felt we were really confident about the game plan we had coming into to face McMahon. We also felt good about how we would handle their lineup but the reality is that they put together hits and we did not."

Tori Meyer was the only multiple hitter for Barrington as she went 2-for-3 from the cleanup spot. Samantha Murphy, Kendall Peterson, Stagnito and Hoppe each had 1 hit for the Fillies.

"I was really impressed with Jess Mazur and her pitching," said Perry Peterson. "She threw a heck of a game. Fremd came to the Fields of Dreams with the intent it was going to win and we had our hands full. But I was proud of our kids the way they battled to the end."

The Fillies will head to the downstate Washington tournament this weekend with a perfect record. Their first game will be on Friday at 3:30 p.m. against Class 2A power Williamsville (14-1).

"We just approach every game the same," Hoppe said. "One game at a time. We try to do our best and see what happens. We just take small steps."