Softball: Patient Prospect comes back for 7-5 win at Hersey

Prospect's softball team found itself with a 5-1 deficit after two innings at Hersey on Wednesday.

"I knew we'd have energy the whole game," said Knights senior third baseman Alyssa Cacini. "Once we got down, that energy made us want to come back even more."

With some energized bats, flawless defense and shutout relief pitching from Emalee Depa, the Knights rallied for a 7-5 triumph in a matchup of Mid-Suburban East leaders.

Cacini was the only player in the game with 3 hits. The Dayton recruit went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, the second one giving the Knights the 7-5 margin with one out in the top of the sixth inning.

"Our whole lineup hit, we did great," Cacini said. "This definitely helps keep us in the conference race. We are ready to keep going."

Depa (4-2) was ready when she was called upon to start the third inning with her team down 5-1. The junior did not allow a run the rest of the way, striking out three and allowing only 3 hits.

"Emalee came in and really did a nice job," said Prospect coach Krystina Mackowiak, whose club raised its record to 12-4 and 5-2, a half-game in front of Hersey (9-3, 4-2) in the East.

"The girls were pretty excited for this game. They knew it was a big one. It meant a lot especially after our loss on Monday (11-4 to Elk Grove). We wanted to come back and get ourselves in contention."

Hersey came back from a 1-0 deficit when it scored all its runs in the bottom of the second inning.

The Huskies sent 11 batters to the plate, starting with Sarah Bailtitz, who led off with a smash over the center field fence.

Ria Patel, Jodi Hermann, Hannah Graff (RBI single) and Brianna Luciano (2-run single to right) each had hits in the big rally while Asia Luboyeski and Makayla Tsagalis drew walks.

But Prospect grinded away at the lead, getting 2 runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

Senior Alex Kanter (2-for-4) had a big RBI single in the third and a double off the center field fence in the fifth.

"Alex had a great game," Mackowiak said. "She came through in the clutch a few times."

"This was definitely a game we needed," said the Knights' center fielder. "When we fell behind, we just said 'everyone get up there and swing, and everyone get on base.' "

And all nine Knights in the batting order reached base at least once.

Also going 2-for-4 were Lauren Caldrone and Madeline Borkowski while Cassie Cunniff, Colleen Palczynski, catcher Jackie Orel and Katelyn Pancini each had 1 hit.

The Knights also sparkled defensively and committed no errors.

"We've had a few rough games (defensively) but everyone came though this time," Mackowiak added. "It was a good team win."

Hersey coach Molly Freeman credited the Knights' defense.

"I thought they were dynamite defensively," she said. "From their shortstop (Caldrone) and third baseman (Cacini), they made dynamite plays. They were fantastic on defense and deserved to win."

"It was our first errorless game in a while," Mackowiak said. "We took away a lot their hard hits, which really helped."

Luciano (2-for-4), who threw the final 1⅔ innings, and starting pitcher Bailitz (2-for-3) were multiple hitters for Hersey.

"The division is going to be a fight," Freeman said. "And we know we have our work cut out for us. We didn't do enough hitting to win today and that's just how it works.

"You've got to hit through the lineup and not in just one inning. You need momentum all the way through the game. We had some opportunities but we made a couple of mistakes along the way. They cost us but we have to hit better to win."