Softball: Adame’s clutch hitting helps Palatine upset Fremd
The Palatine and Fremd softball teams played Monday's MId-Suburban West game in tribute to Morgan's Message which strives to bring awareness for mental health.
"We came into the game knowing it was for Morgan's Message, which is a big thing," said Palatine senior left fielder Grace Adame. "And we knew we had nothing to lose. We said 'Let's enjoy the sport that we've been playing our whole lives.’"
Adame sure did as she accounted for all 4 of the Pirates' RBI in a dramatic 4-3 win over visiting Fremd, the top-ranked team in the Daily Herald softball poll.
Adame's big day included the one-out walk-off shot, a liner to the right center field gap that brought home classmate Angie Delgadio from second base in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Pirates (16-13, 8-5) handed Fremd (18-3, 11-1 ) its first MSL loss and ended the Vikes' 13-game winning streak.
It was Adame's first walk-off and her first win over Fremd in four years on coach Nicole Capalbo's varsity team.
"This is huge for us," said Adame, who had an RBI groundout and a 2-run double to left prior to her big seventh inning blast. "Honestly, we've kind of been up and down recently but we just said 'Let's just do what we came here to do.' I'll definitely sleep well tonight."
It was also a dream game for Delgado, the Pirates' shortstop, leadoff batter and four-year varsity player who went 4-for-4 and scored 3 times.
"That was probably our biggest win of the season," said Delgado, an Aurora University pledge who enjoyed her first 4-for-4 game this spring. "We came into the game with an open mindset. We knew we had nothing to lose so that was the key to the game. It really showed on the field and in our bats."
Freshman Mia Woldman helped quiet the Fremd bats. The right-hander retired 12 of the last 14 batters. Avery Sheridan and Claire Kanupke were the only Vikings to reach base.
All five of the Vikings' hits came in the first three innings. They scored all their runs in the third inning on 4 hits.
Kanupke led off with a single to left followed by Sheridan's soft single to shallow right. Taylor Piento then singled to center, bringing home the first run.
A sacrifice fly to left by Fremd ace pitcher Hailey Lucas (16-3) brought Sheridan home before catcher Mia Souliotis doubled to left to make it 3-0.
Palatine got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Adame's groundout to short scored Delgado.
The hosts tied the game when pinch-hitter Hananh Wachlerwho singled to center. Delgado followed with another single to center before Adame's one-out double evened the score at 3-3.
"Hannah came through with a big hit there," Capablo said. "All the girls on the field and on the bench responded. Grace and Angie had such great games. They were both seeing the ball really well. Those two at the top of the order and being vocal leaders on the field definitely set the tone for us."
And Woldman, who threw to junior catcher Nora DePersia, did her job on the mound.
"Mia pitched a phenomenal game," Capalbo said. "She's poised on the mound and she does not get rattled by anything. She trusts the location of her pitches. It was awesome. To beat Fremd is one thing. But when you're a freshman beating Fremd, that's special."
Lucas has been a special pitcher all season with more than 200 strikeouts and she added 10 more on Monday. Two weeks ago, she shut out Palatine 6-0.
"Last time we played them I said flat out that the next game against them would not be the same," said Fremd coach Josh Tesachner. "The reality is that it's tough when you've won 13 straight and you are playing your crosstown rival. They are a very well-coached team. They executed and did everything right today and we had a lot of errors and put ourselves into positions that were uncharacteristic."
The Pirates still have two fewer losses than any team in the West and four games remaining.
"We have earned the spot we are in by working hard and winning some big, tight games," Teschner said. "The reality is that this doesn't stop our goals, However it's the way we are going to respond to adversity now that's going to tell how deep we will go beyond conference and that has been the goal all season."
Sophomore Quinn Schwartz had the sacrifice bunt in the seventh which got Delgado to second, setting up Adame's game-winner.
"We talked before the game that Fremd has had such a great season," Capalbo added. "So we had nothing to lose and we were playing for something more than ourselves with it being our Morgan's Message to recognize mental health. We were just focusing on what we could control and I think we did that today."
"Fremd is a very good team. This gives us momentum going into the postseason. We know we can beat a team like that which will help us with our confidence at the end of the year."