Softball: Burlington Central falls to Belvidere North

BELVIDERE - Making contact has been a problem for Burlington Central's softball team in the young season. It was again Friday as the Rockets managed just 2 hits and struck out 6 times in a 5-1 loss to Belvidere North.

Danielle Yurgil had both of the hits and Lindsay Jamrozek drove in a run, but a 4-run third inning did in the Rockets.

Central starter Julia Barnes got through the first 2 innings, allowing just 1 baserunner, but the Blue Thunder broke through in the third. Run-scoring singles by Breanna Kirane and Morgan McNulty and a 2-run line shot over the left center field wall gave Belvidere starter Elizabeth Bratter all the runs she needed.

The Rockets got one back in the fourth. Barnes took a pitch off the batting helmet leading off. She went to third on the first of Yurgil's hits and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jamrozek, deftly veering into the field of play to avoid the tag. The Rockets missed a chance at another run when a baserunner was cut down trying to score on a wild pitch.

"Our strikeouts are killing us, unfortunately, right now," said Central coach Erica Snyder. "That's actually been a problem since the beginning, so we've got stuff to work on. We just can't get anything going, and when we do we just make silly plays where we're running into tags. Those are the kinds of plays we can't afford to do."

Barnes allowed just 1 run the rest of the way. She lasted 5 ⅔ innings, allowing 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4.

Central made things relatively easy on Bratter, striking out 6 times and hitting a couple of weak pop-ups.

Central had a couple of chances to get back in the game, but couldn't capitalize. The Rockets (1-2) got runners to second and third with 1 out in the sixth, but shortstop Anna Chylak fielded a grounder, tagged the runner leaving second and threw to first for the double play.

The Rockets got one last chance when Yurgil singled leading off the seventh, but got no further.