Fremd honors Lynch with warm, winning effort
This one was for Denny.
Fremd’s 13-0 opening-game victory on Tuesday at Stevenson came a day after the Vikings softball players attended the wake of longtime Rolling Meadows assistant softball coach and teacher Dennis Lynch, who died last Friday.
The father-in-law of Vikings coach Jim Weaver, Dennis threw out the first ball last spring at a special game in his honor to help the cure for Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
“That was a special day and honor to meet Mr. Lynch,” said Vikings third baseman Brittany Ciura (2-for-3), who played a key role in the five-inning, 10-run rule contest with back-to-back doubles and 3 RBI. “It was great to get to know him. We played catch with him and he was such a nice man.”
Denny, who also was the head football at Meadows, would have loved Tuesday’s uncharacteristic 70-degree temperatures for a mid-March softball game. He always had a passion for the sport.
“It was very nice to see our players there (at the wake),” Weaver said. “That brought a smile to my face.
“This game was all about these kids. They’re great kids and a very respectful group. and we (the Fremd coaching staff) try to show that respect right back.”
“Our entire coaching staff and players make up such a close family,” said Fremd senior cleanup hitter Megan Hubbard, who went 1-for-3 and scored 3 runs. “We were ready to play for Mr. Lynch, his whole family and the Weaver family.”
The Vikes played solidly, start to finish.
They did not commit an error behind senior pitcher Rachel Doering (3 innings, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts) and junior Ashlynne Schwantz, who retired six straight batters in the final two innings with 2 strikeouts.
“I thought both girls threw well,” Weaver said. “We wanted to be able to get both of them in if we could. The defense looked good, which was nice because this was our first time fielding on dirt. We have not been able to practice on our field.”
Weaver gave the defense a little extra time with infield drills prior to the game and it paid off.
The offense sparkled, too, as the Vikes produced 12 hits, including a 3-for-3 effort from Schwantz, who was batting No. 9.
Junior Michelle Mazur went 2-for-3 with a leadoff double in the Vikes’ 5-run fifth inning.
Sophomore shortstop Leigh Farina tripled in the second inning and scored on Sara Untiedt’s sacrifice fly to center.
Janelle Schneider had an RBI double to left-center in the Vikes’ 3-run fourth inning.
“We were real excited to start the season,” Hubbard added. “We had a tremendous off-season, and it showed in this game. Everyone was talking about how excited we were to start the season and all our preseason work paid off on the field.”
Stevenson’s only hit was a one-out single up the middle by lefty slapper Sara Loerch in the second inning.
Morgan Manka followed with a walk before Doering got the next two batters on infield grounders, with first baseman Mazur making a nice scoop for the final out of the inning.
The only players Stevenson coach Larry Friedrichs has in the same position from a year ago are right fielder Caily Rubenstein, center fielder Ali Castriano and his pitchers Sam Feder and Kat Trotter.
“We have a lot of work to do but the good news is that we have a young group which is very anxious to learn and work hard,” Friedrichs said. “We have four seniors who have been good leaders the first three weeks and doing a very nice job.”
Friedrichs said it’s been great to be able to practice outdoors.
“That’s been awesome,” he said.”And this was good seeing a team the caliber of Fremd (ranked in Top 20 in Chicago area) this early. It give us a sense of how hard we have to work — and I know these kids are willing to work.”