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Softball: Palatine, Rolling Meadows team up on important mission

Rolling Meadows and Palatine showed up for a Mid-Suburban League softball game on Tuesday.

But more importantly, a large crowd showed up for the 'Mission for Madden' and the second annual Rett Syndrome Awareness game.

Madden Manz is the 2-year-old son of Rolling Meadows assistant softball coach and Palatine physical education teacher Jeff Manz.

A 'Mission For Madden' website is dedicated to supporting Madden and his family in their daily fight against Madden's genetic neurological development disorder, Rett Syndrome. The 'Mission For Madden' raises funds and resources to support and care for Madden.

The fans in attendance on Tuesday were giving their support, buying raffle rickets, concession food and wearing shirts and pins in honor of Madden and the cause.

Jeff Manz, who also had a successful run as the Pirates softball coach, watched his daughter Maive throw out the first pitch on Tuesday, when Palatine posted a 14-0, five-inning victory.

"We played for a cause, and this was about Jeff Manz and Madden Manz," said Meadows coach Tony Wolanski. "I appreciate the Palatine parents, administrations from both schools and our parents with everything they all did to put this great event together and raising money for a great cause. That's what it is all about."

Even the umpires wore pins on their shirts that read 'We Battle For Madden.'

The players on both teams sported jerseys with the fronts reading: "Determination. Strength. Support. Faith. Hope. Heal. Believe." And Madden's name was inside a heart.

"It's really an important cause," said Brittany Padden, the Pirates junior left fielder who went 4-for-4 with 3 RBI and missed the cycle by a home run . "Especially because Mr. Manz is at our school teaching. This meant a lot to us."

"We were glad to see Mr. Manz here" said Palatine senior third baseman Brooke Bauer. "It's like seeing a friendly rival. The most important part was the cause. We were concerned about being ready to play Rolling Meadows but more importantly, we wanted to play for Madden today."

The Pirates clubbed a season-high 20 hits, led by the 4-for-4 performances from No. 6 hitter Padden and No. 3 sophomore Emily Parrott (2 RBI), who a day earlier also missed a cycle by a home run.

No. 1 and 2 hitters Grace Huff and Maddie Craver each went 3-for-5 with a RBI while Bauer and Grace Seiffert (RBI) were 2-for-4.

Reggie Much (2 RBI), Anna Selleck and pinch hitter Rhiann Dick (RBI) each had 1 hit for the Pirates.

"It was different today, like a different team," said Pirates coach Nicole Pauly, comparing the Pirates' effort to Monday's 10-6 loss against Fremd. "We made adjustments early. We knew the wind was blowing in and we adjusted to putting the ball in play, on the ground hard, to force them to make plays."

"Up and down the lineup we were hitting. We didn't have any holes in our lineup, which was nice to see. We got runners on base, hit them over and we scored them."

Craver made her first start of the season and fired a 1-hitter with 3 strikeouts.

Two flyballs caught by Huff in center field were the only balls hit out of the infield by Meadows (6-14, 1-5) other than a two-out single to left center by No. 9 hitter Angela Vassos in the bottom of the third.

"They (Palatine) have great kids, and we have great kids," Wolanski said. "They played a good game and we made some mistakes We'll keep trying to get better."

Palatine (14-4, 5-2) is scheduled to visit Conant (11-3, 5-1) on Wednesday.

"Maddie (Craver) did a great job," Pauly added. "It's nice to see her back on the mound and I think we played really good defense behind her with no errors."

"It's nice for the girls to play for something that means more than just a softball game. This was a bigger cause than a softball game. It showed the girls there's more important things out there."

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