Central opens with a flourish
BURLINGTON -- The formula for winning this season will be pretty simple for Burlington Central: manufacture enough runs and let the pitching do the rest.
That was certainly the case on Wednesday as the Rockets opened the season at home with a 5-0, 8-2 doubleheader sweep of Streamwood.
(Shauna Bittle/Staff Photographer)
(Shauna Bittle/Staff Photographer)
Junior Mackenzie Scott fired a no-hitter and struck out 18 in the opener.
Senior Erica Maisto wasn't as dominant in the nightcap, but effective nonetheless, as she struck out nine and held the Sabres scoreless through the first five innings before surrendering a pair of late runs.
"It's a real good start for us," Central coach Scot Sutherland said. "I was very happy with the way our pitchers threw the ball. Mac was stronger than ever in that first game and Erica did a nice job of spotting the ball in the second game."
Scott showed no ill effects from a back injury she suffered last fall that left her rehabbing two herniated discs much of the winter.
Scott walked the first batter she faced and found herself in a jam after a stolen base and sacrifice bunt pushed the runner to third with just one out. But the right-handed fireballer got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
She went on to strike out the next seven batters in a row and 16 of the next 18.
Scott scattered just four walks. The hardest hit ball by the Sabres was a soft liner up the middle by Barb Posinger in the sixth inning that deflected off Scott and right to shortstop Kayla Oranger, who fired to first for the out.
"I've worked hard to be ready for the season," Scott said. "The back has felt much better the past few weeks. I still have some bad days with it, but I felt good out there today. I was getting a good break on my changeup."
The Rockets managed just three hits themselves in the opener, but made the most of their opportunities.
Oranger led off the first by reaching second base on an error, then stole third and scored the game's first run on a groundout by Samantha Gruner.
In the second inning, Abby Morrow reached base on a dropped-third strike and came around to score after a stolen base, sacrifice bunt and a passed ball.
The Rockets manufactured another run in the third when Oranger led off with a bunt single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base and scored on another ground ball by Gruner.
Central tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the sixth.
The Rockets' bats came to life in the second game with 10 hits. Oranger ignited the offense with four bunt singles, which led to three runs scored, including the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning.
Central broke the game open with three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth. Amanda Scheffler ripped a pair of triples and had an RBI. Brooke Porto had a two-run single in the fifth and an RBI double in the sixth, while Gruner added a two-run single in the sixth.
Maisto retired the first 11 batters in the second game before Posinger lined a single for the Sabres' first hit of the day.
Betsy Holman singled and scored the Sabres' first run of the day in the sixth inning.
"We had our work cut out for us today," Streamwood coach Lindsay Mulay said. "They definitely have some good pitching and it certainly hasn't helped that we haven't been able to face as much live pitching in practice because of the weather. But it's good to face these challenges early on and learn from them."