Scott, Burlington Central headed to first Final Four

The Rocket ship is headed to East Peoria.

And it's flying high after a 16-year wait to reach the IHSA state final softball tournament.

Times are different than they were in 1993, when then head coach Wade Maisto guided Burlington Central to the eight-team Class A state quarterfinals. This year's BC squad reached the Elite Eight after beating Sterling in last Saturday's Class 3A Rochelle sectional final.

So now, in the era of four classes, the Rockets will make their first appearance in an IHSA softball Final Four after senior standout Mackenzie Scott fired a 1-hitter and the Rockets downed Vernon Hills 2-0 Monday in front of a partisan Central crowd of about 500 in the NIU supersectional at Mary M. Bell Field in DeKalb. They become the second BC girls team to reach a Final Four this school year after the volleyball team took second in Class 3A in November.

"I knew we could do it, said an elated Scott, who moved to 20-2 on the season with her fifth straight postseason shutout. "Props to Vernon Hills. They kept me on my toes today. I'm just so happy we won."

The Rockets (25-5) will take on either Oak Forest or Bloomington in the 9:30 a.m. state semifinal Friday at East Side Centre in East Peoria. The ISU supersectional between Oak Forest and Bloomington was rained out Monday and will be played at 4:30 p.m. today.

As usual, Scott was magnificent. She had to overcome 5 walks coaxed out of her by a Vernon Hills lineup that showed excellent pitch selection, but she struck out 12 and used stellar error-free defense behind her to keep the Cougars (21-9) at bay.

That defense included an amazing diving catch by senior shortstop Kayla Oranger in the top of the fourth that could have been a rally starter for the Cougars. Erin Christensen led off the inning with a bloop in between short and third that Oranger dove for and was able to hang onto as she laid out and hit the ground.

"I just think we know as the season goes on people are going to start hitting Mac and if we play good defense it gives her more confidence," Oranger said.

"Kayla made a heck of a catch on that blooper and we held them to one hit," said BC coach Scot Sutherland. "The smiles I see on those faces right now are priceless."

The Rockets scored early again, giving Scott a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Senior Lindsay Lange led off with a bloop single to center and was sacrificed to second by junior Ashley Scheffler. Scott then blooped a single into center but Lange had to hold at second. After a strikeout by VH freshman Megan Meline (8-4), one of her four on the day, BC freshman Haley Albamonte (2-for-3) drove a single to the outfield that Vernon Hills bobbled, allowing Lange to score after Sutherland had first stopped her at third.

"Haley stepped up big," said Sutherland, who won his 247th career game. "That's big for a freshman, but she's not a freshman anymore. She's a sophomore now and she's come through for us like that a lot this year."

"Getting that first run, I knew we had a good shot," Scott said.

The Cougars weren't without their chances. They left 7 runners on, including the bases loaded in the fifth. Emily Evanson dumped the Cougars' only hit of the game into center field to lead off the inning and Scott hit Lauren Yacullo with a pitch. After a groundout and a strikeout, Erin Christensen walked to load the bases. But Scott got Megan Kubacki to hit a routine grounder and the threat was over.

"She's the best pitcher we've seen this year and they're the best team we've played this year," said VH coach Paul Weber. "We had some opportunities and I thought if we only struck out 11 or 12 times we'd have a good shot. But we just didn't hit the ball very hard. They've got a good team and they're going to be tough at state. They're the best team I've seen this year."

The Rockets added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Scheffler led off with a single up the middle and alertly went to third on Scott's sacrifice bunt, then scored when Vernon Hills' throw to third went to the fence.

"We came out offensively and did what we talked about doing today," Sutherland said. "We put up seven hits. We put the ball in play and what can you say about on the mound and behind the plate? Mac just bears down and gets it done. That's about Mac and (junior catcher) Sam (Gruner) playing together for so long and knowing each other so well."

And with that, the long climb is over for a program that has come up short after great expectations the past several years.

"It's awesome," said Oranger, the Texas-El Paso signee who along with Scott and senior first baseman Brittany Priest is now 119-19 in her four-year varsity career.

"I'm speechless right now. It's a dream come true."