Here’s how it happened.

Geneva freshman Summer Ayersman wasn’t exactly trying to keep it on the down-low that she could pitch. But the secret, such as it was, definitely is out for the Vikings.

“She is a surprise,” Geneva coach Annie Plackett said happily. “She’s come to little kid camps for us before. Every time, it seemed like she would say, ‘Let’s play the outfield,’ so I figured she was an outfielder.

“I don’t think she ever told us she could pitch.”

Ayersman had just thrown five innings Thursday afternoon in her first career start, checking Wheaton Academy on four hits in a 12-2 nonconference victory for the host Vikings.

On top of that, Ayersman also showed she could hit for Geneva (1-1), sending a bases- loaded blast to the fence in left field that went for a three-run double in the first inning.

She finished 3-for-3, including a double in the fourth to the fence in right-center, joining senior third baseman Kat Cerwin with three hits apiece in Geneva’s 10-hit attack against the Warriors (0-2).

Senior center fielder Kaitlyn Sprague added two hits and junior shortstop Megan O’Connor also drove in three runs for the Vikings.

At preseason tryouts this spring, Plackett had players fill out the usual survey she hands out to give her some background information and a starting point for each individual.

Something jumped out when she looked at Ayersman’s responses.

“I told my coaches, ‘Summer says she pitches, guys,’ ” Plackett said. “So that’s how we found out. Right before tryouts.”

Plackett promptly called the young right-hander over to speak with her.

“She was like, ‘Well, I pitch a little bit,’ ” Plackett recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh, well let’s see,’ and I had her throw.”

Quickly, the coaching staff’s eyes opened a bit wider.

“We’re like, ‘Oh, no, you pitch a lot bit,’ ” Plackett said.

Could it be the start of something special for a program coming off a 5-23 season?

Ayersman is part of a strong freshman group for Geneva that has allowed Plackett to field teams at three levels this season.

“We haven’t had that in a while,” Plackett said. “Our team is very different this year, graduating a lot of kids, then having to see who’s coming in.”

Catcher Clara Lyons and outfielder/middle infielder Jillian Bultmann, two other freshmen, join Ayersman on the roster.

“Talking to other coaches in the conference, this freshman group is pretty strong all over,” Plackett said. “It will be a fun season, hopefully.”

Lyons, who hit a home run in the team’s season-opening 11-10 loss to Larkin last week, plays in the same Elgin-based travel program with Ayersman but is on a different team, up a level at 15U.

“I was hoping I could make varsity but I was very nervous,” Lyons said. “I haven’t caught Summer a lot, but I’ve known her for a while. Her curveball is pretty good and she hits her spots.”

Ayersman also works individually with pitching coach Jessica Contreras from her travel program.

“I’ve been playing since I was 7 or 8 and have pitched since then, but I tried a lot of different sports,” Ayersman said. “This travel program is my first time with an organization for two years, and I really like it there.”

Plackett had Ayersman pitch an inning against Larkin for her varsity debut.

“I was just trying to get her in there, get her feet wet,” Plackett said. “Varsity ball is a lot different than anything you’ve ever seen.

“This was her first start. I wanted to let her get acclimated, and she did a pretty good job. She’s also a solid, solid hitter.”

Ayersman credited her travel ball offseason work and Geneva assistant coach Kaleigh O’Brien.

“I worked on hitting a lot and made it become more of a strength,” she said. “O’Brien helps me there, too, gives me a lot of advice for my timing on the ball.

“Varsity pitching is definitely going to have its ups and downs because we play in such a strong conference. But this was definitely a good day.”