Reinartz pitches 4-hitter, Paulik homers as Zebras win TRC opener

Brady Beck’s go-ahead RBI single triggers 5-run 6th inning

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Tanner Reinartz

Baseball

Rochester 6, Southwood 1 (Wednesday): Tanner Reinartz pitched a four-hitter with six strikeouts, and Brady Beck drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single as part of a five-run sixth inning as the host Zebras beat Southwood at Bob Copeland Field in the Three Rivers Conference opener Wednesday.

Carson Paulik had two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run homer that capped the five-run sixth. Reinartz and Beck also had two hits each.

With the game tied at 1-1, Colton Ferverda walked with one out in the sixth, and he went to second on Brant Beck’s infield single. Brady Beck’s single drove home Ferverda, and both Brant Beck and Brady Beck advanced a base on an error on the left fielder.

Wes Steininger then entered as a pinch-runner for Brady Beck at second.

Parker Casper then lined out to Craft on the mound, but Craft made a throwing error after the catch that allowed Brant Beck to score and Steininger to move to third.

Brady Coleman’s RBI double to center field scored Steininger, and Paulik added a homer to complete the scoring. 

All four Southwood hits were singles off Reinartz. Their only run came on a two-out Rochester error in the third.

Southwood had runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, but Quintin Coe grounded back to Reinartz, who threw to Jake Seuferer at the plate to tag out Craft. Reinartz then struck out Jackson Smith to end the inning.

Southwood’s only baserunner in the final three innings came on a one-out walk to Craft in the sixth, but Reinartz got Ryan Deeter to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Rochester scored in the first when Paulik scored after Southwood committed on an error on a Seuferer grounder.

Rochester beat Southwood for the third straight year. Rochester has won 13 consecutive TRC games. They have not lost a conference game since falling to Wabash on May 9, 2022.

Rochester 6, Southwood 1

Southwood 001 000 0 – 1 4 4

Rochester 100 005 X – 6 8 2

WP – Tanner Reinartz (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

LP – Jaron Craft (6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)

2B – Brady Coleman (RHS)

HR – Carson Paulik (RHS)