Might makes right for Mazur, Fremd

It was like left field was closed for Fremd first baseman Michelle Mazur. And for that matter, so was center field.

This right-handed hitter pushed the ball to the opposite field all four times at-bat on Monday in Mundelein. She singled and tripled in Fremd's fourth straight win to open the season as the Vikings stopped Carmel 4-0.

“I try and hit to all fields,'' Mazur said. “I just try and make contact.”

On a gorgeous late afternoon, the Vikings rode the 6-hit pitching of Rachel Doering to victory. She struck out seven and walked a pair.

“She wasn't at her best,'' said Fremd coach Jim Weaver. “But that's a good Carmel lineup. All in all it was just a good game.”

Carmel (0-2) twice left the bases loaded. Most painful for the home team came in the bottom of the fifth. Madeline Felipez led off with a single to right. She stole second and stayed there when leadoff hitter Kelley Dodge slapped a hit to left. Sophomore shortstop Kathleen Felicelli banged a hit to left loading the bags with no outs.

Doering then looked in at promising freshman third baseman Jenny Behan. In her previous 2 at-bats, Behan had roped hits. This time, however, Doering fanned Behan and her infield turned a double play following that, ending the frame.

“We are still finding ourselves,” said Carmel coach Jason Raymond. “That's hard to do with four classes on the team.”

Carmel's club has two freshmen starters, five sophomores, three juniors and just three seniors.

Fremd struck for a run in the opening inning. Mazur had the game's first hit and promptly stole second. Second baseman Megan Hubbard's two-out hit brought in Mazur.

Despite the loss, Carmel sophomore Nicole Bitter threw the ball well. She didn't walk a batter in pitching a complete game.

“She moved the ball around well,” Mazur said. “She kept us on our toes.”

Mazur's next hit brought in the second run of the game in the third inning.

She powered a ball to right field and stopped running when she reached third. Her triple scored leadoff hitter Amanda Matsumoto.

“She hit the ball well today,” Weaver said. “They were staying away from her so that's why she went to right field.”

The bottom half of Fremd's lineup brought in the final runs of the day. Sara Untiedt and eighth-place hitter Leigh Farina singled in a 2-run fourth inning.

Mazur was the lone Vikings player with 2 hits. Catcher Janelle Schneider powered a double to left field in the sixth inning. Fremd had 7 hits against Bitter and a few errors made 2 of the 4 runs unearned.

“Nicole led us in strikeouts last year,” Raymond said of Bitter. “She's really stepped up. She's coming off a back injury and changed her mechanics.”

Carmel's Behan, batting third for Carmel in her first high school campaign, helped the Corsairs attack with 2 hits. Felipez, batting ninth, also had pair of hits.

“We had our chances,'' Raymond said. “But it's a game of clutch hits and we didn't get them today.”