Baseball: Stevenson starts winning trend against Fremd

It was happening again.

And the Stevenson Patriots had to find a way to stop it.

Jumping out to big leads against Fremd and watching Fremd climb back into the game has become something of a habit for the Patriots - and that habit turned bad last year in the state tournament.

"Last year, we played Fremd in the playoffs, in the first game as well, and we took an early lead, 4-1 or something like that, and then they kept coming back and they got a hit to win it at the end," Stevenson coach Pat Block said. "We knew this team was going to keep fighting and fighting."

Fremd lived up to its reputation on Thursday in the regional semifinals at Libertyville.

Stevenson got out to its familiar early lead against Fremd, only to watch Fremd once again rally. The Patriots built a 6-run lead after the second inning. But Fremd kept chipping away and ultimately tied the game in the top of the sixth (6-6).

But unlike last year, when Fremd turned that rally into a win, Stevenson was able to answer with a rally of its own. The Patriots scored 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and then retired Fremd in order in the top of the seventh, to pull out a 9-6 victory.

The No. 7 Patriots (21-13) next face No. 3-seed Libertyville on its own field at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning in the regional championship game.

"We came out really strong and we were really excited about the game," Stevenson right fielder Evan Kiah said. "We've actually played this (Fremd) team three times over the last two years and every time they've come back and either won the game or made it close.

"I think the seniors were definitely prepared for it and we were trying to keep everyone in it. But after we faced that adversity (of Fremd's sixth-inning rally), the leadership all came together and we knew that we could take care of business."

Kiah certainly played a big part in Stevenson taking care of business.

In the bottom of the sixth after the two batters before him got on, Kiah drilled a hit up the middle to drive in the 2 runs, including what was technically the winning run by Jack Housinger, who hit a double moments earlier.

"I knew I was confident going up there and I felt ready," Kiah said. "I felt really locked in. I've been feeling pretty good at the plate lately and I felt like I was going to come through. It felt great in that situation."

Reliever Matthew Mittelmark then recorded three straight outs for Stevenson in the top of the seventh to end the game.

"All year we've competed and we've always battled," said Fremd coach Chris Piggott, whose team closes out the season with a 15-15 record. "It's tough to get behind the eight ball 6-0 after two innings. But these guys stayed with it and got base-runners. And we chipped away and had that nice inning. But the wheels kind of fell off (in the bottom of the sixth)."

For Stevenson, Kiah finished with 2 hits and 3 RBI while Housinger and Hayden Brotz each went 3-for-3. Brotz also had 2 RBI.

Reliever Michael Thon got the win.

For Fremd, Tom Cermak and Mitch Hundley each had 2 hits while Luke Seidel drove in 2 runs.