Softball: Mazur, Kehoe add to Fremd's fun

Jess Mazur is breaking many of Fremd's power records this spring.

So it only made sense the school's all-time leader in home runs (27) would show her strength on the big stage Tuesday.

Playing a rare Mid-Suburban West softball game at the Bandits Stadium in Rosemont, the Georgia Southern recruit belted the game's longest drive, a double off the left-center field fence in the first inning.

It drove in the game's first 2 runs and sparked the Vikings' offense to an 11-1 triumph over Conant.

"When Jess (3-for-3, 3 RBI) hit the ball off the wall, I went to meet Lexi (D'Ambrosio, the next batter) at the plate and she goes, 'She is a beast,' " said Fremd coach Josh Teschner. "Jess is phenomenal. We feed off her."

D'Ambrosio is hardly void of power herself.

The Missouri-Kansas City recruit belted a 2-run triple to right and RBI single to left, combining with Mazur to go 5-for-6 with 6 RBI as the No. 3 and 4 hitters in Fremd's batting order.

They helped give pitcher Nikki Kehoe plenty of run support and the senior right-hander handled the rest.

She took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, finishing with a 3-hitter and 3 strikeouts to raise her record to 6-1.

"Nikki has been dominant for weeks now," Teschner said. "And I feel between the hitting of our top five and Nikki's pitching, we are turning the corner."

At 6-3, the Vikings (14-6) moved into third place by a half-game ahead of Conant (9-7, 6-4) in the Mid-Suburban West.

"After last Friday's loss (13-0 to Elk Grove in five innings), we just have a focus we didn't have prior to that game," Teschner said. "It just woke us up. We're hoping that we continue to feed off Nikki's brilliant game today."

"Nikki pitched amazing," said Mazur, who also stole third and raced home on an error following her double off the fence. "And it was great because she trusted her fielders behind her."

The Vikings did not commit an error on the artificial carpet in Rosemont.

"Playing here is always fun." said Mazur, who along with her fellow seniors were making their second appearance on the Bandits' diamond. "It's a different setting. You have a freeway behind you, the planes coming over and the bigger crowd. It's just brings the excitement and focus to a new level because the whole team is hyped up and ready to go. It's awesome."

Another multiple hitter for Fremd was Anna Freveletti, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple to left in the Vikings' 7-run second inning.

Senior right fielder Hanna Ban made a terrific shoestring grab on the game's first hitter. She and Makenna McCarthy, Kaylee Goluch and McKenna Schneider also had hits for Fremd.

Pinch hitter Hanno Oh collected the first hit for Conant when she led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center. That gave the Cougars as spark the next two batters (Trystin Lovas and Emily Tauscher) singled to left and to center.

But Kehoe limited the damage to 1 run, getting a nifty 6-3-2 (Grace Stevens-to-Mazur-to D'Ambrosio) double play to end the game.

"Conant is scrappy," Teschner said. "You know they're going to get their hits at some time. To hold them to 3 runs is remarkable, let alone taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning."

"It was unfortunate that we had a great opportunity to play at such a wonderful stadium and the girls admitted they just didn't have the vibe," said Conant coach Cathyann Smith. "They just weren't ready to play. Sometimes you just have to learn from those situations and make the most of it. "

"I was proud of the kids who came through at the end and put the bat on the ball. I was really proud of Hannah. She came in and got it going. Our young kids are trying to step up and our seniors are giving heart. But today, it was tough all-around. We will come back tomorrow."

Fremd comes back with Rolling Meadows, Palatine and Conant the next three days.

"We talked to the girls about that," Teschner said. "We said 'Don't think for a moment you have a chance to breathe easier.' "