As a reward for advancing to the Class 3A supersectionals last season, the Fenwick High School softball team was bumped up to Class 4A by the IHSA.
While the competition is harder in 4A, the largest class, Fenwick senior shortstop Ashley Parenti doesn’t mind the change.
“It’d be great if we went far either way,” Parenti said. “It’s true that maybe 4A is a little bit tougher, but still, it’s great either way.”
The Friars once again seem primed for a deep playoff run. Parenti went 2-for-3 and was outstanding in the field and pitcher Jessica Mrozek hurled a four-hit shutout as Fenwick knocked off Leyden 4-0 to win the Fenwick Regional on Saturday at the Dominican Priory.
The win advances the third-seeded Friars (18-16) to the Trinity Sectional semifinals, where they will take on crosstown rival Oak Park and River Forest at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 4.
Fenwick beat the second-seeded Huskies, who edged Niles North 2-0 on Saturday, 4-1 on April 8.
That seems like a lifetime ago to Fenwick coach Mike Marrese, whose squad was under .500 for most of the season but has now won 10 of its last 13 games.
“We did the same thing last year,” Marrese said. “We had a rough stretch at the end of April and we peaked in May. Same thing this year.
“I told the kids after we had a rough stretch at the end of April, ‘let’s draw a line from this point. We’re 0-0, let’s move forward and get hot going into the playoffs.”
Mrozek, a James Madison University recruit, has struggled with a sore back this spring but was brilliant against No. 6 seed Leyden. She took a no-hitter into the fifth and wound up allowing only four hits and a walk while striking out four.
Marrese had planned to take Mrozek out after three innings and bring in ace Valerie Perrilli, but left her in after she started baffling the Eagles with her changeup.
“In the playoffs he was going to split the time half and half just to give the teams two different looks so they couldn’t catch up,” Mrozek said. “I was keeping them off balance so he just decided to keep me in and see how far I could go. If I was going to get into trouble he was going to put Val in.”
Perrelli, who went 2-for-3 while playing first base, wasn’t needed on the mound but scored the only run the Friars would need when she led off the fourth with a single and scored on Mrozek’s double off the wall in right. Mrozek later scored on a double by Michelle Lang.
Fenwick extended the lead with two more runs in the sixth. Parenti got it started with a single, went to second on Lang’s sacrifice bunt and to third as Giselle Diaz beat out a bunt.
A wild pitch plated Parenti and then Diaz, who had two hits and two stolen bases, scored on a sac fly by Natalie Cairo.
That was more than enough cushion for Mrozek, especially with the Loyola University Chicago-bound Parenti playing behind her. Parenti showed great range in picking off line drives and pop-ups at key times. She recorded seven putouts, all but one of which came in the final three innings.
Leyden (18-12) had the tying runs on with one out in the top of the sixth but Parenti stabbed a pair of line drives to snuff the threat.
“Having her at short is like having an automatic out anywhere near her because she’ll dive for balls, she’ll break into the hole to get to the ball,” Mrozek said. “She’s so aggressive and she’ll give her all for every single play.”
Now the Friars are two wins away from winning back-to-back sectional titles for the first time in school history. This is their first large-school regional crown since 2007.
“It’s a good feeling especially because we were struggling a little bit during the season,” Mrozek said. “Now we’re finally getting together and picking our game up.”