DIXON — If there’s one softball squad that always seems to match up well with the Rochelle varsity softball team, it’s the Dixon Duchesses. The Lady Hubs topped Dixon twice during the 2018 season, and the two teams met for a third time in two years during nonconference play on Tuesday.

In what will be a preview of the IHSA Class 3A Regional Quarterfinals at Dixon this coming Monday, the Lady Hubs hit the road to face the Duchesses, with senior Maddi O’Rorke leading the offense with two hits and two RBIs to lead Rochelle to a 4-1 victory. The win snapped Rochelle’s seven-game losing streak and improved the team’s record to 4-22 overall.

“It felt good to get the win,” O’Rorke said. “It helps that I know a lot of their players and I know what they can do. I feel that my hitting has definitely improved since last year, and I’m learning to keep my hands down on the ball. I’m working on seeing the ball all the way to the bat and not pulling my head out as much.”

Sophomore Bella Lodico led Rochelle on the pitcher’s mound, tossing a complete game while striking out eight batters and allowing only five hits. Senior Becca Bunger paced the Lady Hub offense with two hits and one walk, while senior Emilee Dueringer added one hit and one RBI. Junior Abby Reish doubled and totaled one RBI in the victory.

The tenth-seeded Lady Hubs will play the eighth-seeded Duchesses at Dixon to begin the IHSA Class 3A Regional Quarterfinals on Monday at 4:30 p.m. The winner will face the second-seeded Sycamore Spartans in the semifinal round at Rock Falls on Tuesday.

NIB-12

Rochelle closed out its remaining Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference road schedule with games against Kaneland and LaSalle-Peru. The Lady Hubs lost at Kaneland this past Wednesday by a score of 18-0, with Becca Bunger notching one double and both Jordin Dickey and Maddi O’Rorke hitting one single. LaSalle-Peru beat Rochelle on Monday by a score of 14-0, with the Lady Hubs recording two hits in the loss.