CRYSTAL LAKE – A pair of Richmond-Burton freshmen came up big in their first high school game Wednesday.

Pitcher Hailey Holtz struck out 15 batters, and center fielder Madison Kunzer provided a crucial stolen base as the Rockets scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a tie and beat Crystal Lake Central, 7-2, in their season opener at Lippold Park.

[ Photos: Richmond-Burton vs. Crystal Lake Central softball ]

After Central scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score at 2, Kunzer, R-B’s No. 9 hitter, worked a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh and stole second. The throw from Tigers catcher Giada Motto easily beat Kunzer to the base, but she was called safe after narrowly avoiding the swipe tag and setting off a big inning for the Rockets.

After the next batter struck out, Kunzer came around to score when a hard-hit ball off the bat of Lyndsay Regnier was scooped at shortstop but thrown away. Regnier made it all the way to third on the throw and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Rockets (1-0) went on to score three more runs on only one hit, a single by Taylor Davison (2 for 4), as Central had difficulty fielding a couple of balls in the infield.

But Kunzer’s walk and steal proved to be a difference maker.

“That’s why we practice the hook slide,” Rockets first-year coach Tylar Stanton said. “We brought the blankets into [the gym], and we practiced that. That was a beautiful slide, she was safe, and that was kind of the turn of the game.”

Kunzer said stealing normally is not a big part of her game. When she got the signal to try for second, she was surprised.

“I never really steal. I was shocked when the [the umpire] called me safe,” said Kunzer, who also added an RBI single in the second. “I was just like, ‘I hope I can make it,’ because we really needed that run. I was a little nervous. Once the umpire called me safe, I was excited.”

Central coach Brian Strombom felt his team got the tag down at second.

“I thought we had her, I did, but that’s a close call,” Strombom said. “Then they got some baserunners after that and made it difficult for us. We’re a young team, but I thought we fought really hard.

“Being tied with Richmond-Burton through six, I’ll take that. It means we’re able to compete against some of the better teams, if last year is any indication. That I took as a real positive. The seventh inning was the seventh inning.”

Holtz, whose riseball has been clocked as high as 64 mph, was electric in her high school debut, striking out three batters in each of the first, third and fifth innings. Along with her 15 strikeouts, she allowed four hits and three walks.

One run against her in the fifth was unearned as the Tigers (0-1) loaded the bases on two hits and an error. Both runs came around to score when Olivia Shaw hit a hard-hit ball to right field that was missed, allowing Kate Show and Motto to score.

Stanton said Holtz, who struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam, apologized as she came into the dugout.

“When you only have to make six outs in the field, good things happen,” Stanton said. “She’s another freshman who we’re going to count on a lot. She’s going to throw a lot of innings. Being that ace, she wanted it just as bad as any other girls out here.”

Holtz said she started to get nervous about her first high school start when she got to the field. She walked her first batter but struck out the next three.

“The nerves kind of set in as I got here,” Holtz said. “I was like, ‘OK, this is real.’ But it was fun. The nerves went away as soon as I stepped on the mound. This is such a nice team. They’re all so positive. They’re all great.”

Gianna Carone started for the Tigers and gave up two unearned runs on three hits in four innings. She struck out five and walked two. Olivia Shaw entered in the fifth and finished with eight strikeouts and five walks in three innings. Four of the five runs against Shaw were unearned.

Holtz and Sydney Hird each collected RBIs for R-B. Davison, a Michigan State commit, threw out two baserunners.

Stanton thinks his team has a chance to be special.

“We’re going to be a quality team that’s going to be tough to beat when we can execute the little things,” Stanton said. “We had a few hiccups here and there, but we were always determined.”