Softball: Mundelein outshines Carmel

Billed as the "Under the Lights Softball Showdown," Friday night's game between Mundelein and Carmel Catholic turned into the showdown in the pitching circle.

And at the end, on a 44-degree and damp night, the Community Park lights shone brightest on the designated home team. Mundelein scored an unearned run with two out in the bottom of the eighth to pull out a 2-1 victory.

Mundelein improved to 13-10, while Carmel fell to 17-11 with its second extra-inning loss in as many days.

"Both really good teams and just a competitive game," winning pitcher Breanna Adams said. "It was fun playing against people I've played with in previous years."

Adams prevailed in a pitching duel that saw both she and Carmel's Sydney Schuda spin a 4-hitter. All 3 runs scored in the nonconference game were unearned. Schuda struck out a career-high 16 batters, while walking only one.

"I think my screwball was just moving really well," said Schuda, a junior right-hander. "It gets 'on' and 'off sometimes, and it was just 'on' tonight. And my changeup (was working well)."

Schuda retired the first 13 batters she faced, before Adams dropped a single into center field with one out in the fifth. Adams eventually scored on a throwing error, tying the score at 1-1. Mundelein threatened again in the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but Schuda got back-to-back strikeouts to force extra innings.

"The movement on her pitches was unbelievable," said Adams (2-for-3), who doubled with one out in the seventh. "It was so hard to hit her - and that's saying a lot in this weather. It's hard to get spins on the ball. So she did really well."

So did Adams. The North Central College-bound senior righty struck out 10 and walked four. She pitched around 7 errors, including a pair in the first, when Carmel scored its lone run.

"She loves the thrill of the big game, and her with experience and maturity, there's no one better," Mundelein coach Heather Ryan said of her ace and four-year varsity player. "One of the signature things about her is that nothing rattles her. That's what's made her so successful. She can deal with any kind of thing that's thrown at her. That's why she's been on varsity all this time. Her composure is unmatched."

Carmel got a pair of singles from Emy Krysa, but the Corsairs stranded at least one runner in each inning. They left a pair on base in both the fourth and seventh innings. Mundelein catcher Kendall Klatt threw out three runners trying to steal.

In the Mundelein eighth, slap-hitting Danielle Lambert led off with a single into left field and stole second. Kaitlyn Griffin's well-hit flyball died in the thick air but was dropped, allowing Lambert to score the winning run standing up.

"That's not why we lost the game," Corsairs coach Shane Schueneman said. "They had 5 errors early and we didn't take advantage of it. You can't let (opportunities) like that get away. Bre pitched a heck of a game, and Sydney pitched a heck of a game for our side."

The game was special for both teams. Adams had never played Carmel in her high school career.

"I think we struggled at first, but eventually we got loud and our team fed off each other," Adams said. "We got the energy going, and it just built confidence in all of us."