FREEPORT — What started out as an apparent pulled quad has developed into a frustrating fight for Freeport sophomore Maya Borghol.

The Yellowjacket outfielder will likely miss the spring softball season while recovering from spinal fusion surgery Aug. 27.

“We just found out she's not coming back, she's going to sit out the season,” Freeport assistant head coach Larry Meta said. “She'll be better off.

“She's a great player and great players work hard and fight to come back even better than they were before. That's what Maya is going to do.”

As a freshman last season, Borghol led Freeport with eight stolen bases in as many attempts. She hit .405 with three homers, 14 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Borghol tried out for the Ohio Outlaws summer travel team and put up healthy numbers in the Athopro360 testing, placing 12th out of 70 girls despite being one of the youngest players there.

She pulled her quad at that camp and was forced to sit out the rest of the summer season.

“She battled that same thing the previous summer,” her mother, Kelly Borghol, said. “But this time, she could barely walk without pain at the end of the summer.”

Pain in her leg became debilitating and Borghol wound up seeing a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. She was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis — a lower spine condition causing the lower vertebrae to slip forward onto the bone beneath it — and a herniated disk in her lower back.

Borghol opted to have the surgery, which involved insertion of four screws and two rods into her spine to stabilize her vertebrae.

The surgery took longer than expected and it is rarely performed on a 15-year-old.

“This has been a daily struggle for her,” Borghol's mother said. “I feel so badly ... All she wants to do is get out on the field and play.”

Recovery time for Borghol's surgery is one to two years. She tried coming back after a few months with hopes of playing for the Yellowjackets this spring.

“There's been a lot of discomfort,” Borghol admitted. “It's been OK playing the field, but I haven't slid yet.

“Swinging the bat has been tough. The way your body turns ... I feel it the next morning after I'd try hitting the previous day. It was hard to get out of bed.”

Borghol has hopes of playing Division I softball. The Ohio Outlaws play a high-level schedule with and against Division I caliber players.

Borghol's mother, a Freeport graduate, played Division I softball at Kent State.

“I know Maya wants to follow her in her mother's footsteps and she definitely has Division I talent,” Outlaws coach Ron Williams said. “But she has to be patient.

“Before the injury, she could catch up to 60 mile per hour pitches at the plate. Right now, she is unable to do that. She can't get the bat around quick enough and that could hamper her this summer as well.”

Williams said the primary recruiting period for major college softball is the summer after a player's sophomore year. Many Division I scholarships are offered and signed by players in the fall of their junior year.

“I want to be ready for summer ball with the Outlaws,” Borghol said. “I couldn't play last summer and I want to play this summer.”

Williams said Borghol will get an opportunity to play “provided she's healthy and healed enough.” But he added that “I won't throw her to the wolves if she's not able to play at that level, either.”

Borghol tried to resume softball activities a few months after her surgery. She was medically cleared to do so, provided she could stand the pain.

While she could do no further damage to her back, the pain would often overtake her.

“I'd take swings one day, then have to shut it down for a day or two,” she said.

Williams won't bet against her returning to the game.

“Through all of this, between Maya and her mom, I haven't seen one ounce of negativity,” he said. “This girl has a lot to get over mentally. You can see the mental anguish as she tried to play.

“She has to let it heal, continue with rehab, then get over those mental hurdles so she can swing the bat freely and won't be hesitant to slide. She has a tough road ahead.”

Meta is confident she'll get there.

“Maya is a tremendous player. She has the best arm in our league among outfielders,” Meta said. “It's disappointing we won't have her this year, but it's better for her. She needs to rehab and regain those muscles.

“She is one tough kid. We're gonna have her for two more years and she will come back better than ever. I know that will happen because she won't quit until it does.”