Isabelle Reed, Burlington Central bats warm up in FVC win over Crystal Lake South

CRYSTAL LAKE – Burlington Central junior pitcher Isabelle Reed filled up the count to the first two batters she faced in each of the first and second innings Thursday against Crystal Lake South.

For someone who isn’t a fan of the cold, she worked at a much faster and more effective pace after that. Reed attacked the Gators’ hitters and loosened up as the game went on and the temperatures dropped.

Reed fired at least two strikeouts in every inning she pitched, including a 12-pitch, three-strikeout sixth inning in which she threw only two balls. She finished with 14 strikeouts in six innings before giving way to Zoe Hornsby in the seventh, who kept the Rockets’ shutout intact for a 14-0 Fox Valley Conference win.

Central’s bus arrived late, so the team’s warm-ups were more hectic than normal.

“I didn’t have the greatest warm-up today,” said Reed, who allowed four hits, three walks and stranded eight base runners. “It was a 40-minute drive here. I don’t like the cold, but I do play a lot in the cold.

“[My coaches] just like to put me out there.”

Central (4-6) finished with 14 hits in the shutout, scoring six runs with two outs in the seventh, and improved to 3-0 in the FVC after topping Cary-Grove and Dundee-Crown on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Rockets scored a pair of runs in the first, third, fifth and sixth innings before the six-run seventh.

Sophomore second baseman Kelsey Covey kept the Rockets’ seventh going with a two-out, two-RBI single after a base hit by No. 9 hitter Mia Lindquist and an error by South. Covey ended the game 3 for 4 with a double, a team-high four runs and two RBIs.

Sophomore right fielder Kendall Glonek went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs, senior catcher Olivia Sutton drove in a run in each of her first three at-bats, and senior center fielder Allie Botkin (2 for 4) had a double, two runs scored and one RBI.

Also driving in runs for Central were Nina Garcia and Addison Beltran. Mei Shirokawa scored twice.

Covey said the Rockets have tried to keep things lively in the dugout this spring. After an 0-6 start to the season, they’re averaging 13-plus runs a game in four straight victories.

“Cheering is a big thing for us,” Covey said. “It keeps everybody hyped and up in the dugout. When you go to bat, it makes you feel so much stronger and better.”

“Once we get it rolling, everyone wants to hit,” Reed added. “Everyone wants that big hit.”

South lost its fourth straight game to start the season. The Gators (0-4, 0-2) do not have the benefit of much experience, however, with a roster of nine freshmen, three sophomores and three juniors.

“A little bit of an interesting mix. I’ve never coached a team without any varsity seniors,” coach Sara Markelonis said. “But there’s still so much leadership here, and they’re all so supportive of one another, so it’s awesome.

“We’re still trying to figure out where girls play. There’s a lot of movement in the field and there’s a lot of pressure on the girls to know not just their position but multiple positions.”

Thursday’s pitcher for the Gators was freshman Lily Dittrich, and Markelonis said she hasn’t flinched at being a first-year varsity player or somebody the team will count on.

Seven of the 14 runs scored against her Thursday were unearned.

“For her, I think it’s just doing another day doing something she loves,” Markelonis said. “She knows that she has a job to take care of.”

Central was 7-11 in the FVC last season. A 3-0 start has them feeling confident.

“We want to make a run at conference, and we want to win regionals,” Covey said. “Just keep winning games.”