Softball: Huntley erases early deficit, beats Fremd
There was a noticeable turn in the weather during Tuesday's nonconference softball game between two Daily Herald Top 20 teams.
Shortly after, there was a turn in the game.
No. 12 Fremd (19-8) owned a 3-0 lead over No. 16 Huntley (24-6) after three innings, just about the time when the temperatures seemed to drop about 10 degrees thanks to a strong southwest wind on the Fremd diamond.
Two innings later, it was the Red Raiders in front 4-3 and that ended up the final score as Huntley senior ace Julianna Maude (13-4) got the complete game win with a 4-hitter.
The North Central College recruit who plans to study occupational therapy struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
"She had an outstanding game," said Huntley coach Mark Petryniec. "This was a great test for us today. We definitely put this game on our schedule to help us prepare for the postseason.
"Hats off to Fremd. They hit the ball, and their pitching was great, too. This was a great game. This is what softball is supposed to be like."
Fremd had all its hits in its 3-run third inning.
Senior Ryanne Goodwin sparked the big inning with a one-out double high off the left-center field fence. Pinch runner Madison Minton came home with two outs as first base coach Russ Anderson waved his second runner of the inning past first base when Anna Poss clubbed a double down the left field line. Chiara D'Antonio (center) and Hailey Lucas (right) followed with back-to-back RBI singles to make it 3-0.
"I loved our approach in that inning," said Fremd coach Josh Teschner. "I felt like every single hitter went up there knowing what they wanted to do with the ball.
"Then after that, things got a little slippery, where she struck out three kids in a row (fourth inning) and put us in a tough spot, At that point, now you're just looking to scrap together another run to put yourself back in the game."
Maude made sure that didn't happen, retiring Fremd's final 12 batters after Avery Sadorf led off the fourth by reaching on an error.
"I just trusted myself and my speed," Maude said. "And I trusted my defense behind me. My defense really helped me through this game. It was great competition and the energy of the game was awesome. I wasn't concerned when we fell behind. I knew we could come back."
The comeback began with Aubrina Adamik's two-out infield single driving home Clara Hudgens who had led off with an infield single.
It was capped with 3 runs on 4 hits and 2 errors in the fifth. Christina Smith began the rally by reaching on an error. Katie Mitchell, Sadie Svenden (RBI), Meg Ryan (3-for-4) and Ava McFadden (2-for-4, RBI) all followed with hits with a walk to Hudgens sandwiched in between.
On defense, Ryan also made a terrific scoop at first base of a one-hopper to secure the final out of the sixth inning.
"We just made some quality adjustments," Petryniec said of the Red Raiders' offense. "We shortened our swings and just tried to put the ball in play, We're not a big power-hitting team so we have to rely on getting the ball down on the ground and taking the extra base."
Both teams have state-caliber teams coming to their fields later in the week: Marist visits Huntley on Friday while Antioch and Lincoln-Way Central travels to Fremd on Saturday.
"Huntley is one of the top programs in the state over the last five years," said Teschner, who went with junior Lauren Graham and sophomore Lucas in the circle Tuesday. "When you give them 3 unearned runs, this is what's going to happen. It's kind of been the story of our season so far. Any time you're in a spot where you are giving up too many runs to a good team, they are not going to let you back in it and that's what happened today."
Graham stuck out five and is now 9-4.