Fremd’s bats heat up against Schaumburg
How did Fremd enjoy the warmest weather for the baseball season thus far?
The Vikings did so by making short work of Schaumburg on Monday in Palatine. Fremd cruised past the Saxons 10-0 in a snappy one hour and 21 minutes.
“We have waited for long time for weather like this,” said Piggott. “We swung the bats real well. This is the best we have swung all year.”
Fremd (8-5, 2-1) had 9 hits in just 4 turns at the plate, with three of those for extra bases. Each Vikings starter reached based at least once.
“We have been playing in bad weather and we get a warm day and showed what we could do,” said Fremd’s Tim Polak, who had 2 hits and a RBI. “I have been seeing the all real well. I got a few good pitches to hit and I made good contact.”
Fremd broke through in the first when Andrew Stark scored on Austin Jetel’s RBI single.
The Vikings then broke the game open in the second, hitting Schaumburg (3-4, 0-2) with a 5-spot.
Fremd loaded the bases as Jon Escobar walked, while Polak and Matt Isola each singled. After one out, Stark singled in a run. That was followed by a bases-loaded walk to Sam Beutler. Jetel then drove in another run on a fielder’s choice and Alec Dompke knocked in a pair with a double to the left-center gap.
“I was looking first-pitch fastball, and I got it,” Dompke said. “It went right into the gap, just what I wanted to do.”
The Vikings followed the next inning by scoring four more times. Polak had a RBI single to score Escobar, who had doubled. Beutler later followed with a 3-run blast to left center, only the second homer of the season for Fremd.
“It felt good,” Beutler said. “I think it was a mistake pitch on his part. It was a high change-up for me, so it was a hitter’s bread and butter pitch.”
While the Vikings were pounded the ball, Fremd pitcher Mack Rosman (4-0) was making like Houdini.
Schaumburg had runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings, including the bases loaded with two-out in the third, but Rosman, who is just a sophomore, found a way to stymie the Saxons.
“Ever since I was little, as the game would go on, I would get better,” said Rosman, who allowed just 2 hits while walking five and fanning seven.
“It is the same with innings. The beginning of each inning was a scramble. But as the inning went on, I would get my stuff working.”
Rosman needed to tip his cap to Isola, who made a superb diving catch in left center field to preserve the shutout. Isola then jumped up and fired the ball back to the infield where Fremd was able to double up on the Schaumburg baserunner who left third early.
“It was a line drive in the gap,” Isola said. “The first one got down and I was not gong to let this one get down. I got a good bead on it off the bat. It ends up he was off early, so we got him doubled off.”
First-year Schaumburg coach Cal Seely, whose team was playing for only the seventh time this year, was disappointed in his team’s inability to cash in on its scoring chances.
“We simply did not get guys in when we needed to,” Seely said. “We had guys on base in scoring position early on and we just couldn’t find a way to put the ball in play.”
With games the next five days, four of which are conference matchups, Piggott said his team’s play Monday couldn’t have come at a better time.
“This is the best we played all year,” Piggott said. “And with conference games the next days, it is a good start for us.”