Burlington Central rolls in regional opener
The Burlington Central softball program honored its seniors prior to Tuesday's Class 3A regional opener on Rocket Hill against Illinois Math and Science Academy.
Then, four of those seniors took center stage in leading the Rockets to an 11-1 win in five innings.
Burlington Central (21-5), the top seed, will play in the noon championship game on Saturday against the winner of today's game between No. 2 Kaneland and No. 3 Hampshire.
Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Kayla Oranger was 4-for-4 with 4 runs scored, including the tally to end the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Oranger beat out four straight bunts and also had 4 stolen bases.
Senior Brittany Priest delivered a 2-run triple in the Rockets' 5-run fourth inning and senior Lindsay Lange was 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI.
And in the circle, senior Mackenzie Scott threw 4 hitless innings with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks. At the plate, Scott had a sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring double.
"After getting through the order once we made the adjustments and did what we needed to do, said BC coach Scot Sutherland. "We put some pressure on them and took advantage of what they gave us."
The Rockets, coming off losses to Class 4A powers Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East last Friday in the Stone City Jamboree, took a couple innings to get their timing down against IMSA pitcher C.C. Countryman.
BC scored once in the first, Oranger coming home on Sam Gruner's groundout, and once in the second when Lange singled, went to second on an error, third on Scott's sacrifice and then home on Katie Maleski's bunt single.
The Rockets then scored 3 runs in the third and 5 in the fourth to put the game away. Lange and Scott each drove in runs in the third, while Priest's triple brought home two in the fourth, as did singles from Gruner and Ashley Scheffler.
IMSA managed a run in the top of the fifth off reliever Jet Kein on an RBI single by leadoff hitter Isolina Rossi.
But BC then put an end to things in the bottom of the inning when Oranger singled, stole second, went to third on Priest's groundout and scored when IMSA threw away Gruner's grounder.