Fremd, Hersey set for MSL title matchup
Fremd eliminated any doubt about the Mid-Suburban West baseball race Monday afternoon at Wheeling.
Lee Breitzman came within an out of a shutout and Grant Dunham had 3 hits and 5 RBI as the Vikings clinched their fourth straight division crown with a 17-2 victory in 5 innings.
“It’s been fun,” Fremd senior Jack Andersen said after he went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the title clincher.
“We’ve been talking about it during the season, about winning this,” said Fremd senior outfielder and leadoff man Keith Browning, who also had 2 hits. “Hopefully we can go on to the next level and win the regional.”
Sam Beutler and Keith Giagnorio also had 2 hits as Fremd (18-13, 11-5) secured a spot in Friday’s 4:30 p.m. MSL title game against visiting East champion Hersey. Palatine and Schaumburg finished two games behind in the West.
“We have good kids and they gear up for the conference schedule,” said Fremd coach Chris Piggott. “It’s been an up-and-down year for us but they’ve battled back and they never quit after a rough week last week.”
Fremd overcame a pair of losses to Palatine last week to achieve the third-longest streak of division titles in MSL history behind Barrington’s six from 1993-98 and five from 1985-89.
Breitzman (5-1) didn’t allow an earned run in 5 innings. He scattered 6 hits and 1 walk and had 8 strikeouts.
“Breitzman pitched well and he’s been great all year for us,” Piggott said.
“It’s been a lot of fun having all of us on our game every time we go out there,” Andersen said of himself, Breitzman and Jason English at the top of the starting rotation.
Fremd will try to avenge a 5-2 loss to Hersey on April 17 and duplicate a 1-0 victory in the MSL title game two years ago.
Freshman Brendan Spillane and senior Kalvin Thong had RBI singles for Wheeling (1-29, 0-16).
Hersey 2, Schaumburg 1: Mike Danielak, Trevor Haas and Tyler Perkowitz made sure Hersey (24-7, 11-5) won the MSL East title outright as it held on to win the crossover.
Danielak (8-1) allowed 3 hits and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts in 5 shutout innings to lower his ERA to 0.72. Perkowitz had 2 of the Huskies’ 3 hits with an RBI double in a 2-run fifth.
Haas pitched the last 2 innings and left runners at second and third after Jeremy Hall’s two-out RBI double in the seventh. Jack Holden went 2-for-3 with a double and Max Paolicchi allowed only 3 hits and no earned runs in 6 innings as the Saxons (18-13, 9-7) had a 5-game winning streak snapped.
Buffalo Grove 4, Palatine 3: BG (13-19, 8-8) pushed across the winning run without a hit on Jake Fanella’s bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh of the MSL crossover to end a 6-game winning streak for Palatine (15-18, 9-7).
Jeremy Berger (5-1) left the go-ahead run at third to get the win after a solid outing by Robert Hawkins. Jimmy Pinakidis and Mike DiViesti had RBI singles in a 3-run third for the Bison.
Hoffman Estates 3, Elk Grove 0: Mark Roberts threw a 5-hitter with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk as Hoffman (16-15, 8-8) won its fourth straight in the MSL crossover. Jimmy Ward had 2 RBI and Zach Hommowun had 2 hits.
Luc Dimaso had 2 doubles for Elk Grove (16-15, 7-9).
Rolling Meadows 3, Barrington 2: Matt Dennis (6-3) took a shutout into the seventh and Eric Lowe had 3 hits and an RBI single in a 3-run fourth for Meadows (18-13, 9-7) in the MSL crossover.
Mickey Wazorick had 2 hits and Mike Olson had a 2-run single. Dennis allowed 1 earned run with 6 strikeouts in 6 innings and Matt Hendricks earned his third save.
Max Redpath went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the Barrington (17-14, 6-10) seventh and Frank Waliczek had 11 strikeouts in 6 innings.
Prospect 5, Conant 0: Jack Landwehr (6-3) fired a 3-hitter for Prospect (14-17, 10-6) in the MSL crossover with visiting Conant (12-13, 8-8).
Notre Dame 6, St. Viator 3: Mike McGrath had 2 hits for St. Viator (18-15, 6-9) in the East Suburban Catholic Conference loss in Niles.
St. Benedict 5, Christian Liberty 4: St. Benedict overcame a 4-0 deficit after 3 innings in the Class 1A Christian Liberty regional semifinal.