ROCKTON, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The deadlock on top of the NIC-10 in girls softball has been broken for now. Hononegah inched ahead of Belvidere North by a game by defeating Belvidere North 2-0 Monday afternoon.

Hononegah junior pitcher Irelyn O’Brien was the biggest star of the game. She pitched all seven innings allowing only three hits while striking out ten batters. O’Brien also had a hit, and she scored Hononegah’s first run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Addison Hulburt.

Second baseman Megan Kelly drove in the other Hononegah run in the fifth inning when she singled in Kennedy Smith.

Belvidere North’s starting pitcher Ava Morris pitched six innings allowing six hits and two runs while striking out four batters.

Hononegah is now 15-1 in NIC-10 play. Belvidere North is 14-2. The conference championship is still far from decided. Hononegah still has two challenging conference games to play this week against third-place Harlem and against Guilford. Guilford handed Hononegah its only conference loss earlier this season.

Belvidere North’s remaining conference games are against Auburn and Belvidere.

Watch the media player above for highlights of this game.

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