ROCHELLE — The situation looked rather grim for the Lady Hubs varsity softball team, but the girls used their bats to bring some excitement into the dugout during Wednesday’s season-opening game against Rockford Boylan.

Trailing 16-3 after four innings of play on a rainy and windy afternoon, Rochelle ignited a late rally that saw seven Lady Hub runners cross home plate to cut its deficit roughly in half. But the ongoing rain would force the umpiring crew to end the game after five innings, with Rockford Boylan winning by a final score of 16-10.

“It was a nice to get a game in,” head coach Lindsay Suess said. “We didn’t like the outcome but we just needed to get that game in.”

The Lady Titans immediately took control of the game in the first few innings, scoring three runs in the top of the first and adding five more in the second to jump ahead 8-0 over the Lady Hubs. But the purple and white got on the board in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI single by junior Jessie Meyers, and Rochelle scored one run in both the third and fourth innings before exploding for seven runs in the fifth inning, the most in one frame for either team Wednesday evening.

Senior Jovana DeLaTorre led the Lady Hub offense with three hits including a double and two singles, while fellow senior Jaelyn Kammes added two hits and an RBI.

“That’s exactly what we talked about after the game,” Suess said of her team’s ability to continue fighting through difficult circumstances. “We are so proud of how we finished that game and that’s the most important thing we’re taking out of this game.”

While the bats were able to come alive late in Wednesday’s game, the Lady Titans continued to pile runs on the board. Rockford Boylan totaled four runs in both the third and fourth innings before going scoreless in the fifth inning for the first time all game.

“If we make a couple key plays, we’re back in that game,” Suess said regarding the Rochelle defense on Wednesday. “It’s a work in progress, though. We’re looking for small victories, so the end of that game is what we’re focusing on.”

It was the first game action for Rochelle after rough weather forced the Lady Hubs’ first four games of the season to be cancelled. But Wednesday’s contest has officially signaled the start of the 2017 season, and the girls will look to play on Thursday against Streator. If bad weather strikes again, Rochelle will travel to Belvidere on Saturday for a day of softball action with Belvidere, North Boone and Genoa-Kingston.

“We just need to refocus and forget about this one and focus on the opponent we have tomorrow,” Suess said.