Baseball: Fremd cruises by Buffalo Grove in regional title game

Brent Swenson and Fremd went extra to cruise past Buffalo Grove 12-3 Saturday in the title game of the Class 4A Fremd baseball regional. The game was played at Triton College in River Grove due to weather-related issues.

Fremd (21-14) won its first regional title since 2013. The Vikings, who are seeded fifth, will meet top-seeded Warren on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the St. Viator sectional at Boomers Stadium at Schaumburg.

"I am proud of these guys, they deserved it," Fremd coach Chris Piggott said. "We were young last season, and had an average year. They came out and wanted to win a regional this year. They have played great and pounded the ball."

Swenson had 3 of the team's 7 extra-base hits, coming up with a pair of triples and home run.

"I always seem to do well when I play on turf," said Swenson, who also had a sacrifice fly and drove in 5 runs.

"Always works out that well. I seem to pick up the ball well. It felt good to bounce back after a tough game at the plate for me last game. I was able to come through this time."

Fremd, which had 15 hits for the second consecutive game, tallied a pair in the top of the first. Nick Rattin blooped a double into center. He then later scored on Tom Cermak's single. Swenson, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a throwing error.

"We are working very hard in practice, so when it comes to game time we are ready," said Rattin, who had 3 hits. "We capitalize on good pitches and we like to drive the ball."

Buffalo Grove got one of those runs back thanks to a Fremd error. Riku Komatani scored on a long double by Matt Brunelli to cut the Fremd lead to 2-1.

Fremd broke the game open in the second when the Vikings batted around, thanks to 4 extra-base hits.

Charlie Towns, who had 3 hits, and Rattin both doubled. Swenson followed with a triple. Will Josten, who had 2 hits on the day, had an RBI single and Nick Varon belted a 375-foot homer to make it 8-1.

"It felt great, but a team win is better," said Varon, who is a sophomore. "I was sitting slider and I just got what I wanted."

It was another long homer, this one by Swenson over the screen in right-center in the fourth, as the Vikings increased their lead to 9-1. But Fremd suffered a big loss when, after hitting the ball to the gap in left center Cermak, who had 2 hits, pulled up lame heading into second base. He was replaced at short by Joey Rattin the next inning.

Buffalo Grove (21-11), which finished the year with its third consecutive 20-win season, got a couple runs back on a 2-run double by Danny Pocklington in the sixth.

"We gave them a lot of extra opportunities early," Buffalo Grove coach Tim Miller said. "Our kids fight. We were in position to win a regional for the third year in a row. You have to be happy about that."

Swenson closed out the scoring for the game with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

"We made plays and pitches when we needed to," Piggott said. "I told the guys before they left practice the other day to look up at the baseball banner. And we want to get our year up there. Now they can do that."