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Kisch, Ahlers power Burlington Central to regional crown

GENOA - The Burlington Central softball team may not have the glowing overall record it has had in many past seasons, but the Rockets are 2-0 in the season that counts the most, and they're a regional champion again.

Junior Emily Kisch spun a 4-hitter and sophomore Kristina Ahlers went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI as the top-seeded Rockets downed No. 2 Sycamore 3-0 Monday to win the Class 3A Genoa-Kingston regional championship, BC's second straight regional title and 18th in program history.

Central (18-16) will take on Sterling (26-8) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the semifinals of the Belvidere North sectional. On its way to a third-place finish at the state tournament last year, Sterling beat the Rockets 8-7 in eight innings in the sectional semis. The Golden Warriors also downed BC 11-6 this season, on May 16 in the IC Catholic tournament. Sterling beat Mendota 6-0 Monday to win the Sterling regional.

Kisch, who has been held out of the pitchers circle several times this season due to back soreness, stymied Sycamore (18-16) from the get-go Tuesday, setting the tone of what was to come by getting the first two Spartan batters out on two pitches, both comebackers to her.

"I loved it," said Kisch, who threw a 5-hitter to beat Genoa in last week's semifinals. "Two pitches, two outs."

Offensively it was Kisch and sophomores Kristina Ahlers and Kelly Wiater who came up with the clutch performances for the Rockets against Sycamore senior Rachel Reifsteck.

In the bottom of the first with one out, Kisch singled to center field then scored when Ahlers ripped a triple down the line in right.

The two combined to give BC a 2-0 lead in the fourth when, with one out, Kisch singled to right and stole second before scoring easily on Ahlers' booming double to center that may have cleared the fence had it not been for a stiff wind blowing straight in.

"I've been working on taking the first pitch and hitting it," said Ahlers, who now has 33 RBI on the year. "I've been working a lot on hitting the ball to the right side and this pitcher was not the fastest so I had to wait back."

The Rockets then added an insurance run in the sixth. Jill Neisendorf (2-for-2) led off with a single, moved to second on Alyssa Mish's groundout then scored on Wiater's clean single to left.

The rest was left to Kisch, who struck out 6, didn't walk a batter and benefitted from a defense that played its second straight errorless games and was bolstered by two splendid catches in right field from junior Bryn Lawler.

"The defense behind me was great, especially the outfield," said Kisch, who credited team trainer Becca Walker with helping her work out her back soreness. "And Kelly does a wonderful job behind the plate. It feels real good."

Sycamore's best chance to score came in the top of the third when Bobbieann Gable led off with a single and was awarded second on an illegal pitch, the only Spartan to get as far as second base all afternoon. But Kisch (9-5) struck out Baylie Petit, got Sophie Benson to groundout to the circle, then retired Jordyn Schultz on a fly out to center.

"She's put the team on her back for 14 innings now," said first-year Central coach Kyle Molik of Kisch. "Becca Walker has done a fabulous job of stretching her out and keeping her loose and it just shows the determination and the type of person Emily Kisch is. She's a competitor and she doesn't like to lose. She's going to do everything she can to help us win. Emily is the pulse of our team but I also have to compliment her batterymate, Kelly Wiater. Emily has a lot of movement and isn't the easiest pitcher to catch for and Kelly has done a great job. And, she came up with that big hit in the sixth.

Molik believes his team is at its peak now, and that the rigors of the season have put the Rockets into a position to challenge Sterling Tuesday.

"You don't go through a season and play a schedule as tough as ours and not expect to win a regional," he said. "We put ourselves in situations to learn and to grow and now they get to enjoy raising that plaque. As a school and as a community we couldn't be prouder."

  As first-year head coach Kyle Molik, left, looks on the Burlington Central softball team celebrates its Class 3A regional championship at Genoa-Kingston Monday. John Radtke/jradtke@dailyherald.com
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