Softball: Craver, Palatine storm past Prospect
Friday's Mid-Suburban League softball game between Palatine and host Prospect included a 20-minute delay when the siren on the school's lightning detector sounded.
When play resumed, it was a future Thunder who created some fireworks of her own in the top of the sixth inning.
Wheaton College recruit and Palatine third baseman Maddie Craver, the first person to step into the batter's box following the delay, belted her first homer of the season to complete a 3-for-4 day that also included a double.
It took darkness to finally silence the bats of each team in the slugfest that saw Palatine leading 16-9 when it ended with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Pirates (15-2, 7-1) led 10-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning when Prospect (13-5, 6-3) rallied with all 9 of its runs.
"Obviously, we knew at that point (leading 10-9) we had to score more runs to give us a cushion again," Craver said. "We knew going into the game that they (Prospect) scored a lot of runs so we knew that's what we had to do, too."
The Pirates did it with 17 hits, led by Craver, Emily Parrott (3-for-5, 2 RBI), Grace Huff (3-for-3, 4 RBI, home run, double), Rhiann Dick (2-for-5) and Anna Selleck (2-for-4).
Amanda Stanczuk, who belted a solo homer in Pirates' 4-run second inning, Brittany Padden, Kaitlyn Reed and winning pitcher Sarah Grossman (10-0) each had 1 hit.
Craver reached base four times and her only out was a liner to center field.
"Maddie is doing and unbelievable job at the plate," said Pirates coach Nicole Capalbo. "Really, up and down our lineup, whenever anyone of our girls gets in the batter's box, I truly believe they're going to get a hit."
Prospect got almost all its hits in the 9-run fourth, highlighted by Illinois Wesleyan recruit Colleen Palczynski's first career grand slam.
Kaitlyn Pancini, Lauren Caldrone and Katie Annen had RBI singles in the inning. Alyssa Cacini (1-for-1, 2 walks), Alex Kanter (1-for-2, double), Jackie Orel (1-for-3) also had hits in the big inning.
"I was proud of the way our girls played, " said Prospect coach Krystina Mackowiak, whose team was without second baseman and leadoff batter Cassie Cunniff (sprained ankle). "It was just too little, too late.
"And again we gave them too many outs and that seemed to be the deciding factor. We've just got to tighten up the defense and come ready to go earlier in the game."
"We knew they had a lot of good hitters and it was going to be a high-scoring game," Capalbo said. "With the weather (rained most of the game) and all, we knew we just had to score more runs than them. And that's what the girls did. They scored almost every inning, put pressure on them and drove in runs."
Playing their fifth straight MSL game this week, the Pirates were coming off three straight 10-run rule wins.
"We just work really well as a team and we encourage each other to keep the energy up," Craver said. "That's what really important to our success - working really well together."