Burlington Central downs Sandwich

Coaches preach until they’re blue in the face about the value of hitting to the opposite field.

About the only blue on the face of Burlington Central softball coach Cray Allen Tuesday was the frosting on the Senior Day cake that Audrey Djukic and Abby Morrow smeared on their coach’s face after the game.

The Rockets used the opposite field hit to its fullest advantage, stringing together three in a row in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Sandwich 3-2 in a nonconference game on Rocket Hill.

“We’ve got one lefty and when you have one lefty, your right-handed hitters have to go to the right side,” said Allen, whose 15-15 team won a 1-run game for the first time this season.

BC freshman Rebecca Roscher and Sandwich’s Morgan Murphy locked up in a pitchers’ duel and both teams played crisp defense. Central jumped ahead 1-0 in the third when Djukic stroked a one-out single up the middle, went to third on Haley Albamonte’s single to right and then scored on a groundout from Bekah Harnish.

Roscher shutout Sandwich for five innings before giving up the lead on 2 unearned runs in the sixth. The Indians used 2 hits, an outfield error and a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead.

But BC bounced right back and tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Emily Bell lofted a wind-aided double to right-center, went to third on Roscher’s groundout and scored on a hard grounder to short from Sarah Kisch.

“We keep making productive outs,” Allen said. “That’s always a good thing.”

The Rockets then won the game in the eighth when Albamonte and Harnish opened the inning with singles to right field and Bell doubled over the right-fielder’s head to score Albamonte with the winning run.

“We all knew (Murphy) was going outside on us and we just did the best we could to take that pitch away and hit it to right,” Bell said.

Roscher allowed just 3 hits on the day. She struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

“Roscher did a heck of a job,” Allen said. “I liked her stamina today. She showed she can go eight innings. I’m extremely proud of her. She’s one of the most coachable players I’ve ever had. She looks you right in the eye when you’re talking to her and respects what you say to her.”