Softball: Fearless Hampshire topples Huntley, wins share of FVC title

Not even Hampshire would have predicted its rise to the top of the Fox Valley Conference. Not after graduating seven seniors, including one of the top players in the conference and state in shortstop Bria Riebel.

On Thursday against FVC softball power Huntley, the Whip-Purs went on top early and never let go in a 8-6 win to earn a share of the FVC title while preventing the Red Raiders from winning it outright.

Hampshire (20-6, 15-3) wrapped up its FVC schedule by sweeping the Raiders. Huntley (24-7, 14-3) needs to win at Prairie Ridge on Friday to earn a share of their fifth FVC title in six seasons.

If Huntley loses, the title is all Hampshire’s.

“We lost a lot of seniors, and I don’t know if we thought we’d be in the position we were,” said senior first baseman Mia Robinson, who went 2 for 4 with a two-out RBI in a four-run third. “I feel like we were kind of just playing without fear. We weren’t letting anything hold us back.

“We kind of just played free, and that allowed us to grow as a team.”

Hampshire’s hitting came through in clutch spots Thursday, a common theme this season for the Whips. In the top of the third, Hampshire had four straight hits against Huntley starter Makayla Rasmussen, all with two outs. Becca Coffey (two-run double), Addi Edlen and Robinson each had RBI hits to put Hampshire up 4-0.

Jiselle Lopez got an RBI single in the fifth, also with two outs, to give the Whips a 5-0 lead.

“That’s the way we’ve been this year,” Hampshire coach Jeremy Bauer said. “It can come at any time, and it can come from anyone. Top of the lineup, bottom of our lineup. I know that our No. 8 hitter (Mia Perez) got us started with a hit, and we just kept going from there.

“It can be anyone any day, so we’re happy with the strength of our lineup.”

Hampshire finished with 13 hits, with Coffey (3 for 4, two doubles, two runs, two RBIs), Edlen (2 for 4, double, two runs, two RBIs), Robinson and Julissa Akins (2 for 4, two RBIs) all recording multiple hits from the Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 spots.

“One through nine can go yard on their team, and two girls on their bench can,” Huntley coach Mark Petryniec said of the challenge of facing Hampshire. “They have the most power in the conference.”

Coffey, a first-year varsity player, got the scoring started in the third with a two-run double to score Perez and Ali LeBlanc.

“We’ve had to come back a lot in games this year, and normally when we score it hasn’t been with two outs, so that was definitely huge,” Coffey said. “Especially against Huntley, it was great to get on them early.”

Huntley’s offense had only two hits in the first three innings but got on track in fourth against Akins. Piper Heimbrodt hit her third home run in two games, and Keely Fewell and Layla Olson added RBI hits to cut the deficit to 5-3 after four.

After Becca Coffey tallied her second RBI double and Akins had an RBI base hit in the fifth to make it 7-3 Hampshire, Huntley again answered back. Hobday and Fewell each came through with RBI singles, and an error allowed a third run to score.

Akins, however, didn’t allow the Raiders to score from that point. Akins, a junior, allowed six runs (four earned) on 13 hits in a complete game, striking out three and walking none.

The Whips didn’t let the pressure of a big game get to them.

“I knew not to get too worked up. I’ve been in high stakes situations like this, so I knew how to stay clam,” Akins said. “I knew what pitches would keep them in the infield, especially that last inning. ... Like our coach always says, it can come from anywhere and anybody in our lineup. We had no doubts about anyone that went up to bat.”

Hobday finished 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and one RBI, Fewell drove in a pair of runs, and Heimbrodt had two hits, including the solo homer and a double. Grace Benson tallied two hits.

Rasmussen allowed five runs in 3⅔ innings while striking out five. Olson gave up three runs in 3⅓ innings of relief, also striking out five. Neither pitcher issued a walk.

Huntley faces another tough challenge Friday against Prairie Ridge, last spring’s FVC champion. The Wolves could throw senior Reese Mosolino, the 2025 Northwest Herald Softball Player of the Year, against the Raiders in the FVC finale.

“The grand prize is we get Reese tomorrow,” Petryniec said jokingly. “We’re going to give everything that we’ve got to get a share of that trophy tomorrow.”