For Brottman, Fremd 1 run enough for MSL title

Who said the new 43-foot distance from the mound to the plate means more offense in the high school softball game?

Not when you have the caliber of state powers like Fremd (27-4) and Elk Grove (30-4) playing for the Mid-Suburban League title.

Fremd ace Lena Brottman edged Elk Grove's dynamic duo of Stephanie Maday and Dani Goranson, 1-0, as the host Vikings won their first league crown since 2002 and third overall.

Two teams with a combined 56 home runs did not hit any Thursday.

Instead, a leadoff rocket double to left-center by Loyola-bound Lauren Zaworski in the fourth inning initiated the only run.

Senior Jenny Schneider's bunt got Zaworski to third, and she scored on Kelly Voigt's two-out single that quickly rolled through the middle of the infield.

"That was a great at-bat by Lauren (fouling off pitches on a full count)," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver. "Our kids are battlers. And Jenny did a perfect job. If she doesn't do that (advance the runner), maybe they have a play at the plate on Kelly's single because it was hit hard."

Voigt was also a key part of thwarting the Grens' best scoring chance in the second inning.

With Jessica Balzano (single to left-enter) on third and Olivia Roback (bloop double to left) on second and two outs, cleanup hitter Devan Parkison belted a liner that Voigt caught in the tip of her glove after leaping high in the air.

"I love catching those," said Voigt, who will play golf on a scholarship at Valparaiso. "I knew it was a big out."

Center fielder Tess Dinterman also produced some big out for Brottman, including a beautiful scoop catch running to her left toward the fence to rob Balzano of extra bases with two outs in the fifth.

Dinterman also smoothly handled well-hit flyballs by Parkison, Maday and Krista Soesbe, for the last out of the game.

"The last time, they hit a couple of balls over my head for homers," Dinterman said. "I knew I had to be prepared this time."

"Tess made some game-saving catches," said Brottman (24-2), who struck out 10 and walked one. "I owe it to my defense behind me, Kelly made a great catch, too, to save some runs. I am able to just focus on my spots because I trust my defense to do the rest."

Maday (15-2) struck out five in the first 4 innings, and Goranson (15-2) retired six of the seven batters she faced in the fifth and sixth.

Both teams had 3 hits.

Roback was 2-for-3 for the Grens, while Balzano's single kept alive the junior second baseman's 32-game hitting streak.

Senior catcher Kristine Werling had Fremd's only other hit, a single to left to lead off the bottom of the first.

"Great team effort," Zaworski said. "This is what our offense is all about.

"Kristine helped get us going by getting on base in her first 2 at-bats. Jenny had another big bunt to advance the runner. Tess made awesome catches and Kelly made a great one. It's awesome getting a conference championship our senior year."

Elk Grove Hall of Fame coach Ken Grams (707 career wins in 30 seasons) felt it would come down to which team could get multiple hits in one inning.

"It was a great game," he said. "Eighteen talented kids performing at their best. There was some good defense on both sides and pitching.

"Both teams had one inning with 2 hits. But the difference was when they got theirs, they got one extra base (Zaworski scoring) in the inning."

Brottman struck out the side in the second and sixth innings.

"Lena is dealing now," said Weaver, who is 234-80-1 in nine seasons. "Elk Grove has been hitting the daylight out of the ball, so to throw a 3-hitter, she is rock solid. All she needs is the defense behind her.

"Give Elk Grove credit. They made big plays and so did we. This was two very solid teams."