Softball: Prospect, Palatine bring awareness to mental health issues

With plans of studying nursing at the University of Kentucky, Prospect third baseman Georgianna Crudele obviously likes helping people.

Crudele was all about helping out on Wednesday at Palatine where she not only aided her team in winning a softball game but also assisted in getting the word out of mental health awareness.

Crudele's single to center in the first inning drove in the only run as Knights senior ace Riley Depa (6-4) fired her third shutout of the season.

Depa's 3-hitter with 9 strikeouts resulted in a 1-0 win for Prospect over the Pirates, who were hosting a 'Morgan's Message' event, launched in 2019 by the friends and family of Duke lacrosse player Morgan Rogers after she took her life.

"I think it's very important and a good thing to make people aware of (mental health), especially in sports and I'm glad I was part of it today " said Crudele, a three-year varsity player.

Crudele's hit came with one out. Molly Gilhooly led off the game with a single to center and Carley Jagiello executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to get Gilhooly to second base.

"I was just lucky to pull through after Carley's bunt," said Crudele, the only player in the game with 2 hits. "I did not imagine that would be the only run we'd score. Luckily, Riley carried us the whole game."

Jagiello, Gilhooly, Depa, Gina Falls and Megan McPherson had the other hits for Prospect (14-6, 6-3) which leads Buffalo Grove (5-3) and Hersey (8-4) in the Mid-Suburban East.

Palatine's 3 hits were by No. 2 hitter Angie Delgado (infield a hit followed by a stolen base in the first inning), leadoff batter Lauren Dettloff (two-out infield single in the third inning) and No. 9 batter Lindsay Plourde (two-out single to left in the bottom of the seventh).

"Riley had another phenomenal outing," said Prospect coach Krystina Mackowiak. "She comes up big for us in every game we need her. I would have liked a few more runs, Hopefully we can get her some more next time. I have to hand it to their pitcher (Paige LaSalle who went the first six innings followed by Holly Steffus in the seventh). She shut us down."

After the first inning, LaSalle scattered 3 hits the next five innings.

"It was a good old-fashioned 1-0 softball game," said Palatine coach Nicole Capalbo. "It was two well-matched teams. Krystina has a good, competitive team as always. We just couldn't find the key hit. I thought our defense played great, our pitching was awesome but we just couldn't find that hit to bring runs in."

But the Pirates (10-7, 4-5) did their best to bring out an awareness of mental health.

"I think it was important to spread the awareness and stigma around student-athlete's mental health because it is a big thing right now," said Delgado, a junior shortstop and member of Palatine's student-athlete ambassador group for 'Morgan' Message'.

"It's a big thing that isn't talked about enough. I think people see it as something to be scared of which is not what we want it to be. That is why we have this program and why my teammates and I were happy to be part of this."

Third baseman Marceau is also an ambassador.

"We wanted to come out and spread the word that mental health matters with student-athletes," said the Lake Forest softball recruit who plans to study pre-med bio. "It is super important and not everyone gets the opportunity to see that, so we wanted to come out here and play for student-athletes."

Mackowiak was glad to see the teams come together in this month of mental health awareness.

"It's nice to recognize that mental health matters, especially for athletes and recognizing that they struggle,too."

"The cause was the most important thing today," Capalbo said. "It was making sure that everyone is aware that mental health is something that goes on with athletes and it's OK to ask for help."