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Softball: High drama and unconditional support as Conant tops Schaumburg

This one could have been scripted right out of Hollywood.

Friday's softball game at Conant was for breast cancer awareness and dedicated to Jan Sunderlin.

The mother of Schaumburg first baseman Paige Alt has valiantly survived breast cancer and agreed to throw out the first pitch before the Mid-Suburban West game in Hoffman Estates.

Sunderlin threw the ball to Conant catcher Dream Aaron, and then tearfully thanked everyone who was on hand and hugged all the players on both sides.

And what happens next?

After the MSL's top pitcher Sara Neuman (17-0) struck out the first two batters of the game, Paige Alt smacked a home run over the right-center field fence.

"That's for my mom," said a smiling Paige, who provides Jan with her greatest joy in life (watching her daughter play softball).

It was quite a fitting moment as two of the closest teams you'll find in any MSL sport played all seven innings in a steady rain before the Cougars prevailed 8-2.

"Overall, this was two great teams who came together for a good cause," said Schaumburg coach Ellen Abreu. "Not only that, but to have the mother of one of our players represented for the cause and honored by Conant was a special moment."

It was a special moment for Jan to throw the first pitch to Aaron because they've known each other for a long time through travel softball.

"I'm so proud of her for fighting it (breast cancer which was diagnosed in April of 2014) and she deserved this honor so much," Aaron said. "I've known her for years and that made this a great experience for me."

Both teams wore T-shirts and other apparel in the color of pink.

"This is always a big game because we all know each other so well and we're like one big family," Neuman said. "It was important that we were all there to support Paige's mom and all the cancer survivors still fighting."

"Dream asked me if she could catch the first pitch," said Conant coach CathyAnn Smith, who introduced Jan Sunderlin with a speech prior to the game. "I said, 'Of course.' Both sides are one big family and support each other. The camaraderie is great."

Conant improved to 20-4 and 13-0 in the MSL West, where it leads Fremd (20-4, 11-2) by 2 games with three to play.

The Cougars answered the home run by Alt with 2 runs in the bottom of the first.

With two outs and runners on the corners, Aaron had an RBI single and an error on the play allowed 2 runs to score.

Conant added 4 runs in the second inning.

The big hits were a 2-run double down the left field line by Sam Gadomski and Morgan Bihun's RBI triple. Both came with two outs.

The final out of the inning came with a terrific diving catch in left center by center fielder Kaiden Jackson to rob Sydney Correa of a RBI and extra bases.

The score remained the same until the top of the sixth when a fielder's choice groundout by Cate Poplar scored Jackson to make it 6-2.

Conant got its final 2 runs in the bottom of the inning with a 2-run double to right center by Bihun (2-for-3, walk, 3 RBI).

Saxons pitcher Michelle Birkholz (8-4) struck out four while losing a conference game for the first time this season (5-1).

Alt, returning from a knee injury suffered on Wednesday at Barrington, played first base. No. 9 hitter Sarah Schwind (2-for-3) was the Saxons' only multiple hitter.

"The conditions were tough with the rain," Abreu said. "Defensively, we did what we could. Offensively, we had opportunities to score. Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn't."

Cougars leadoff batter Lauren Grzelak (2 walks) scored 3 runs while Makenna McCarthy went 2-for-3 with a run.

Neuman, who struck out the side in the first inning, finished with 8 strikeouts while scattering 6 hits.

"In these conditions Sara did what she needed to do," Smith said. "I was very pleased with our team's performance."

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