Belvidere North ends Yorkville’s state hopes

Updated: June 1, 2011 11:01PM

Call them thunderstruck.

Belvidere North’s softball team took advantage of a pair of Yorkville miscues in the second inning to put up three unearned runs, added back-to-back home runs courtesy of the jetstream blowing out in the third and backed Amanda Blankenship’s pitching with some strong defense to claim a 5-1 win in a Rochelle Class 3A Sectional semifinal.

“This year, the expectation was to be here and win,” said senior center fielder Sonja Gilbertson said after the Foxes (22-11) bowed out at this point in the playoffs for the second straight year.

Gilbertson’s fifth-inning double moved Corrine Rowe to third, setting the stage for Cacey Maciejewski’s RBI groundout that plated Yorkville’s lone run.

“We worked really hard,” Gilbertson continued. “… Last year I don’t think we were mentally prepared for sectional. We got here today and I know we were ready but then something faltered.

“(Getting down early was) discouraging, because you know you can play so much better than that. And then, a few mistakes here and there can add up to be quite a bit.

“This kinda sucks. Obviously, our goal was state.”

The Blue Thunder (22-9) advances to Saturday’s 11 a.m. title game against the winner of today’s Geneseo-Sycamore semifinal.

Freshman pitcher Rachael Owens (10-7) breezed through a three-up, three-down first inning before trouble hit. It wasn’t all her doing.

Belvidere North cleanup hitter Holly Hilden led off the second by launching a drive into the wind to left field that just made it over left fielder Nicole Hersam’s head and hit the base of the eight-foot fence 200 feet away.

An infield bobble and fly ball lost in the sun on the next two batters loaded the bases but Owens got a popup and strikeout before No. 9 hitter Mackenzie Morris laid down a perfectly-placed bunt single that just made it past Owens and drove in a run. Emily Hawkins followed with a two-run single on a floater over second base that just barely cleared the infield dirt.

“I think those were the only two errors that we had, they just happened to be back-to-back,” said Yorkville coach Kathi Dockstader. “… I don’t think it was meant to be, for whatever reason.”

In the third, Ainsley Billesbach hit a one-out drive that cleared the fence in center field and Hilden followed with another long drive to left center that hit the top of the fence and bounced over for her eighth home run of the season.

“We noticed the wind but you can’t worry about that,” said Hilden. “You have to worry about hitting the ball hard. Do that, and they’ll fall. I saw it hit the fence. It doesn’t matter how it gets over as long as it gets over.”

Owens gave up five hits in her four innings of work. Junior Lauren Rhodes worked three hitless and scoreless innings and stranded the three runners she walked.

Blue Thunder third baseman Elizabeth made a nice diving stop and a diving catch off a soft liner in foul territory and Hilden ran down a couple of soft liners that could have been trouble for Blankenship (14-3), who limited the Foxes to five hits.

“They made some great plays,” said Dockstader. “On a couple of them, if the ball is hit an inch farther, they’re not gonna make that play. They didn’t quit, it just didn’t happen for us. Their girl did a nice job (pitching) but I’d compliment their defense more than anything.”

Belvidere North coach Oliva Lebensorger agreed.

“They put it in play but our defense really saved us a couple times.”

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