Streamwood, Burlington settle for split

Photos: Burlington Central vs. Streamwood

Updated: March 31, 2011 4:02PM

Streamwood left fielder Jen Mellenthin finally got her catch, and along with it a doubleheader split Wednesday for the Sabres with Burlington Central.

Mellenthin's running, diving catch in foul territory of a ball hit by Central's Amanda Ritchie for the final out with the tying run at third base gave Streamwood a 6-5 nonconference softball victory in Game 2, after the Rockets had staged a remarkable turnaround to win the first game 18-7 by the slaughter rule in six innings.

In between the sixth and seventh innings of Game 2, Mellenthin had been hollering at teammate Jessica Meilahn that she wanted badly to get a ball hit in her direction. Then she did, after Central's Audrey Djukic singled and eventually reached third on a wild pitch with two out.

"I wanted to get one," Mellenthin said. "I didn't get a catch all day. Finally at the end I got my diving catch I'd been waiting for.

"I was a little bit worried when I dove on the ground that it would pop out, but I used two hands so it stuck in there."

The catch preserved a pitching victory for Kelsey Johnson (1-0) as she held the Rockets scoreless over the final four innings thanks to a good offspeed pitch and defense like Mellenthin's. Freshman shortstop Holly Foret started a big double play in the sixth to stop a threat and third baseman Brittany Delao threw around the leather with a lunging stop and assist on a hot liner in the fifth.

"We're willing to make plays, diving around," Sabres coach Nick Baird said. "This year any ball that's hit we're expecting to field it.

"It was just in the first game, it kind of got away from us in the field and we lost that confidence and it just avalanched and we just couldn't stop it."

Central won the first game after falling behind 7-1. The Rockets seized on an error for their first run in the third and then a misplayed ball in the outfield to ignite a five-run fourth-inning explosion before driving starting and losing Streamwood pitcher Kellee Conquest (0-1) from the circle with an eight-run fifth inning on eight hits.

"We talk about being focused and staggering our focus and not getting too excited with highs and lows," first-year Central coach Cray Allen said. "The girls did a pretty good job of staying with it offensively the entire first game when things were going bad for us. The anxiousness got to us the second game. We have a bunch of young kids playing. I really think we should have tried to talk about waiting for a pitch that game. They were a little too excited and anxious after the first win."

In Game 1, Conquest enjoyed a 3-1 lead. Then the Sabres teed off on Rockets starter Kelsey Johnson. Kaylie Jamber smashed her first varsity home run over the center field fence leading off the inning. The Sabres got a three-run inside-the-park homer from speedy leadoff hitter Bri Bogdajewicz, who had hit a two-run triple in the second.

But the Rockets put together five hits in the fourth, including RBI doubles by Brooke Gaylord and Emily Orals, and an RBI single by Laure King. In the fifth, they knocked Conquest out of the game as Bekah Harnish hit a two-run double, and Djukic, Tori Harvey, King, and Gaylord had RBI singles.

They added four in the sixth, thanks in part to hits by Gaylord and Orals and a sacrifice fly by Emily Bell to cut the game to six innings.

Central (2-2) also got a strong relief effort in that win from Rebecca Roscher (1-0), who gave up the inside-the-park homer but allowed only one other hit in four innings of work with two strikeouts.

"She hit her spots," Allen said. "This game becomes very easy when a pitcher is simple and not walking people."

Gaylord (0-1) took the loss in Game 2, allowing eight hits and walking three.

The Sabres broke a 5-5 tie when No. 9 hitter Meilahn got the second of her three hits, moved around to third on a passed ball and wild pitch, then slid in under the tag on a ground ball Delao hit back to Gaylord in the circle.

Streamwood (1-2) had six of its eight hits from its Nos. 6 through 9 hitters in the game.

"Meilahn's attitude is amazing," Baird said. "And we had a big hit to tie it from Dana Kowalewski.

"This is the first time since I've been here that we've had a 1-9 order where everyone can hit."

The Rockets suffered a tough loss in another way early in Game 1 when shortstop Tori Harvey aggravated a knee injury running the bases.

"She was making progress mentally and physically in how to play again after spraining it, and this is a setback," said Allen. "We've got to have her back because she's going to be a really good player for a long time."

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