O’Hara’s a big hit for Barrington

What a day. What an appropriate day for a girl named Maggie O’Hara to break out of an early-season hitting funk.

The Barrington junior, who’s “95 percent Irish,” she said, smiling, needed no luck o’ the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day when she took a swing with two runners on base in the first inning of the Fillies’ softball game against Mundelein on a sunny, warm Saturday at the Fields of Dreams.

O’Hara made 100 percent good contact, jacking a pitch over the fence in left field to help highlight a 6-run frame and launch Barrington to a 17-0 win in five.

“It was a good day for it,” O’Hara said of her first varsity homer. “It was a good way to come out of my slump.”

It was her first homer since, well, about the last time she got her hair cut.

O’Hara sports a ponytail that nearly reaches her waist.

“I think I got like an inch off a year ago ... maybe,” O’Hara said. “It’s a pain to braid.”

Barrington’s hitters pained Mundelein and Stevenson pitchers. The Fillies began the day by beating Stevenson 13-4, improving to 5-0 on a day that was about 50 degrees warmer than it was for their annual quad last year. And last year’s quad took place a week later.

“Fifty-one weeks ago, it was 28 degrees and we couldn’t play,” Barrington coach Perry Peterson said. “We had to cancel because my AD (athletic director Mike Obsuszt) wouldn’t let us go. I wanted to go.”

Loren Krzysko’s long first-inning drive kept going and going. It landed well beyond the fence for her fourth homer in five games. The 2-run shot, which started the scoring, was the 18th in her varsity career. Krzysko, who’s 4 homers shy of Ashley Berggren’s all-time school mark, went 4-for-5, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

“She has amazing bat speed,” Peterson said of his modestly built No. 3 hitter, who last season hit a school-record 12 homers. “About the best I’ve ever seen.”

Jordan Wekony followed Krzysko’s home run with a double. After Savonnah Osmanski singled, O’Hara, who led Barrington’s JV in homers last season, immediately made amends for an 0-for-4 performance in the first game.

She later added an RBI single and finished with 4 RBI.

“She’s a good hitter, and she’s been struggling,” Peterson said. “So I was really happy she hit the heck out of that (homer). That was helpful.”

Like Krzysko, leadoff-hitter Ally McLaughlin went 4-for-5 (all infield singles) for Barrington, which pounded out 21 hits. Wekony (2 RBI), Osmanski (RBI double) and Raegan Fingerman (2 RBI) each had 3 hits.

Mundelein starting pitcher Molly Ellott threw 2 innings, leaving with Barrington ahead 11-0. The junior did not play at all last season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

“She took her lumps, but she’s the type of a girl who will bounce back from that,” Mustangs first-year coach Brett Wilhelm said. “This is not a reflection of who we are.”

Cassidy Kraimer pitched 3 innings, allowing only 1 hit, to earn the win.

Barrington 13, Stevenson 4: The Patriots were giving the hosts a game, but 15 free passes caught up to them.

Stevenson pitchers Sam Feder and Kat Trotter each walked six batters and combined to hit three.

“You can’t defense walks,” Stevenson coach Larry Friedrichs said.

Barrington didn’t take the lead for good until the fourth, when starting pitcher Feder hit Savonnah Osmanski with two out to force in the tying run. Feder then walked Jordan Wekony with the bases still loaded. The Fillies added four more runs in the fifth to go up 9-4, despite being outhit to that point 7-3.

“We were hanging right there with them,” Friedrichs said. “We missed a couple of scoring opportunities, and then we started giving them stuff for free.”

Nicole Alesi had given Stevenson a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two out, the senior roped an RBI double to the gap off Fillies freshman righty Keenan Dolezal, who was making her fourth start after notching 3 wins in leading the Fillies to the title of their own Spring Fling during the week.

Feder’s second-inning sacrifice fly padded the Patriots’ lead to 2-0. When Morgan Manka (2-for-3) mashed a run-scoring double with one out in the fourth, tying the score at 3-3, Barrington coach Perry Peterson went and got Dolezal.

“I give Stevenson a lot of credit,” Peterson said. “I thought they swung the bat well in the first game. That’s the best anybody has hit our freshman.”

Emma Woods earned the win, pitching a 1 innings in relief of Dolezal. Wekony paced the Barrington offense, going 2-for-2 with a double and 3 RBI. Kelsey Kazmier had an RBI triple, Vasi Panos contributed a run-scoring double, and Osmanski singled and knocked in a pair.

Elk Grove 7, Mundelein 2: The Mustangs were competitive against Michigan State-bound pitcher Dani Goranson in the head-coaching debut of Brett Wilhem, the 2004 Mundelein graduate and son of former Mustangs softball coach and current athletic director Perry Wilhelm.

Mundelein trailed only 3-1 in the sixth inning.

Junior Erin Kennelly took the loss, allowing 3 earned in throwing all 6 innings.

“Erin pitched a phenomenal game against the No. 1 or whatever team in the state,” Wilhelm said.

Junior Hailey Morelli paced the Mundelein offense, with 3 hits, including 2 doubles, and 2 RBI.

“She was our sparkplug,” Wilhelm said. “We were feeding off her because she was hitting the ball so well. She was hitting the ball over people’s heads.”

Junior Chloe Peterson and freshman Maria DeVito both went 2-for-3 for Mundelein.

“We came out and we were hitting the ball well,” Wilhelm said. “We weren’t afraid (of Goranson). We weren’t backing down to her fastball or changeup.”