Burlington Central 5, St. Edward 0
The "preseason" hasn't been as fruitful as in the past few years in terms of games played, but it's over now and Burlington Central's softball team is ready to move on to the main course.
Junior Mackenzie Scott and senior Erica Maisto combined for 13 strikeouts and allowed just 2 hits Monday as the Rockets knocked off St. Edward 5-0 in a nonconference game at the Elgin Sports Complex.
Now, at 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the latest ICA Class 3A state poll, Central gets to kick off the Big Northern East season today at Marengo, which was the preseason No. 1-ranked team in 3A but is 6-2 and now ranked No. 20.
"I'm so excited. (Marengo) is our big rival and we want to go in there and show them we can take them," said Maisto, who earned the win Monday, her fourth of the season and the 64th of her career, by pitching 1-hit ball over the final four innings.
The Rockets' win over St. Edward (4-3) didn't come easy. Green Wave senior Erin McGraw kept BC's hitters off stride for the better part of the game and the Wave played good defense. McGraw struck out three, walked two and allowed 7 hits.
"McGraw pitched a great game, we put the ball in play and we played good defense," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, who played football at Valparaiso Universwity when BC softball coach Scot Sutherland was on the Valpo football coaching staff.
"I'm proud of the girls' effort today. Burlington is one of the best teams in the state at a class higher than us. We want to play the best because that's what we'll see at the end of the year."
The Rockets broke open a scoreless tie in the third inning when they got to McGraw for 3 runs. After McGraw struck out Abby Morrow to open the inning, Scott coaxed a walk and Kayla Oranger followed with a line-shot single up the middle that went off the top of McGraw's glove. The bases then became loaded when Ashley Scheffler's grounder to first became a fielder's choice as St. Edward chose to try to get courtesy runner Jordan Maisto at third and the throw was late.
Sophomore catcher Sam Gruner then delivered a 2-run single that was followed by an RBI double from senior Brooke Porto to put BC on top 3-0.
"Sam's been doing what she did last year," said Sutherland. "She's coming up with big hits with runners on base."
The Rockets added 2 runs in the sixth inning. Lyndsay Lange led off with a double and came home when Erica Maisto cranked a double to left-center. Jordan Maisto, running for her sister, then stole third and scored on Brittany Priest's single up the middle.
"It's hard to adjust to the different pitching speeds sometimes," Erica Maisto said. "But we did after a couple innings and we got some shots going."
St. Edward's best chance to score came in the second inning. Megan Pozezinski drew a two-out walk from Scott, who started the game and went the first three innings for BC, just before McGraw singled to left. They each moved up on a wild pitch but Scott got Megan Smith on a called third strike to end the threat.
Smith got St. Edward's other hit, a single to left in the fifth off Maisto.
Scott struck out six and walked three in her three innings while Maisto had 7 strikeouts and 1 walk in her four innings, as the Rockets prepared for their conference opener, which they lost to Richmond-Burton last season before going on to finish 9-1 in the league for a championship.
"We won't have to say much," Sutherland said. "It's Marengo and (his team) will be ready, just like we know the girls from Marengo will be ready."