Fremd's mission will continue downstate
Fremd coach Jim Weaver says his softball team has talked about a mission it wants to complete.
"We're not quite done yet," he said, "but this is a big step."
For the second straight season, Fremd is stepping into the Final Four of the Class 4A state finals.
With their fans cheering them on all the way down the left-field foul line, the Vikings shut out New Trier 4-0 in the Rolling Meadows supersectional on Monday night.
The Vikings (32-4) will face the winner of today's Elgin (Judson University) supersectional between Elk Grove (34-4) and Cary-Grove (32-6) in Friday's 4:30 p.m. state semifinal at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria.
Senior Lena Brottman (29-2) fired a 3-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Vikings avenged a 2-1 loss on April 13 at New Trier when Trevians ace Kelsey Lee (27-4) struck out 16 and gave up 4 hits.
The Mid-Suburban League champs struck out only five times Monday against Lee and had 9 hits, including two apiece from Kelly Voigt, Jenny Schneider and Tess Dinterman.
Brottman received the only run she would need in the fifth inning when Lauren Zaworski hit a deep sacrifice fly to left to score center fielder Tess Dinterman from third.
"Lauren is always such a good hitter,' said Dinterman, who also made a defensive gem in the third inning to take away extra bases from Molly Morrison. "When I saw how far she hit that one (to left), I said 'This is it, this is it.' "
Dinterman started the rally with a bloop single to right, went to second on Caitlin Patenaude's bunt single and took third when Kristine Werling walked.
"That was awesome when we got that first run," Brottman said. "New Trier is an amazing team. It was tied for the majority of the game. They really kept me working. I couldn't miss my spots at all.
"But it was all the defense behind me making the plays. Everything was working for me but that's because Kristine is behind the plate. She makes things so easy. It's all about our team."
A team that made things even easier on Brottman when it scored 3 more times in the sixth.
Schneider and Megan Hubbard each had infield singles while Dinterman drove a base hit up the middle. Alexa Cinquegrani put down a sacrifice bunt in the inning.
Schneider and Dinterman each scooted home on wild pitches and Werling added an RBI single to center.
The Vikes also had runners in scoring position in the first, third and fourth innings.
"They put some balls in play that we were not able to accurately defend," said New Trier coach John Caldwell. "It was their infield hits that hurt us. We weren't able to anticipate some of their short stuff."
"We wasted some scoring opportunities early but we just had to trust that things would work out and keep at it," Weaver said. "Their catcher (Morrison) had a heck of game. She threw one of our runners out at third."
Brottman was tough start to finish. After getting the 4-0 lead, she finished by striking out five of the final seven batters.
The other out was a grounder to second baseman Hubbard.
"Our girls have been in a good hitting zone but Lena was really tough for us," Caldwell said. "She kept us on our heels all night and we couldn't get our bats in gear. She mixed up her pitches well. I can't take anything away from Fremd. We just couldn't match them. It just wasn't our night."
But Caldwell was proud of the Trevians, who tied the school record for single-season wins while Lee had the most pitching wins for a single season.
"I am in debt to these girls," Caldwell added. "They made the season a wonderful ride. It's the strongest all-around team we've ever had at New Trier."
The Vikings also make up one of the strongest all-around teams that Weaver has produced in his nine seasons.
"It's definitely an amazing feeling going downstate two years in a row," said third baseman Voigt (2-for-4), who has been on a postseason hitting tear. "The whole team has worked so hard. We definitely deserve it."
The mission will continue in East Peoria this weekend.