Despite loss to New Prairie in regular season finale, Good finds positives

Reinartz: 4-4, 2 RBIs; Beck also has 2 RBIs

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Tanner Reinartz

The Rochester baseball team might have gone 3-5 over their final eight regular season games, but that does not mean that coach Cory Good does not have confidence on the eve of sectionals.

Rochester closed the regular season with an 8-5 home loss to New Prairie in a late addition to the schedule at Bob Copeland Field Saturday. 

New Prairie, who came in having scored in double figures eight times previously, improved to 17-9. Rochester dropped to 19-7.

Tanner Reinartz had four of the Zebras’ nine hits – three singles and a double and all of them hard-hit – and he added two RBIs and two runs scored. Brant Beck had a two-out, two-run single in the seventh, and Drew Bowers had a hit and an RBI.

Brady Coleman, Parker Casper and Carson Paulik also had hits.

Rochester pitchers gave up nine hits, walked seven and hit three batters.

Coleman started and allowed three hits and two runs (both earned) over two innings. Parks pitched an inning and allowed one hit and three runs (all earned). Casper relieved Parks with no outs in the third and pitched four innings and allowed five hits and three runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out three.

None of them threw more than 68 pitches, which means everybody will be eligible to pitch in the Class 2A, Sectional 38 quarterfinal against Manchester at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Oak Hill.

Good gave freshman Brayson Flory a start in right field one day after he had a two-run single in a 12-7 win over Lewis Cass. Zakk Parks did not play catcher but did see time as a pitcher. Paulik was taken out early so Linden Wilburn could get time at third base, and Reinartz saw some rare time in left field after starting the game at second base.

“I think we’re as healthy as we’ve been in a few weeks,” Good said afterwards. “Everybody’s fine. Just looking to get these guys a break. Zakk’s caught 20-plus games behind the plate. Just want the guys to be ready to go next week.”

Reinartz’s two-out RBI double to right-center in the first just past the outstretched dive of center fielder Sully Kress gave Rochester a 1-0 lead.

Bryce Bell’s RBI single in the second tied it, and Zak Henrich’s RBI grounder to short in the third gave New Prairie a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

New Prairie batted around in the fourth and scored three times to extend the lead to 5-1. Jordan Davis had an RBI single, Colton Griffiths had a sacrifice fly to Flory in right, and Beau Kmiecik had an RBI single.

Bowers’ two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fourth made it 5-2, and Rochester would load the bases when Conner Dunfee reached on an error and Callen Ferverda walked.

But Griffiths got Flory to ground into a force out to leave the bases loaded.

New Prairie scored three more runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-2.

Reinartz’s RBI single and Beck’s two-run single that eluded Henrich’s running attempt at a backhand catch got the Zebras back within three in the seventh.

“I was really proud of the way that we just came in and competed all around tonight,” Good said. “I thought we had good approaches at the plate. Coming out of last night, I didn’t really know guys would respond. We got home late (and returned) early this morning. Really a meaningless game besides just trying to get some guys some reps. And we played against a very good team. I was happy with the way that we did things. I thought our pitchers executed well. Casper came in some very big situations there and handled himself very well and threw a lot of strikes. Defensively, we gave them some extra outs here and there, but overall, I’m proud of the way that we came in and just competed against a very good team.”

Rochester beat Manchester 2-0 in eight innings on April 30 in their Three Rivers Conference meeting. They also beat Manchester 3-2 in eight innings in last year’s sectional.

Good expects to see Manchester ace Harper Sturtsman again after already seeing him in the regular season meeting. Sturtsman is 8-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 45 ⅔ innings.

“We plan on seeing Sturtsman,” Good said. “I think it will be another great battle. We’ve got a tough road, but I feel like we’re in a good place right now to go out and compete, and guys are ready to go. Tough opponent, good matchup. I assume it will be a close one. If we can get the bats on them early, it gives us a (chance) to breathe a little easier and maybe look to do some different things on the mound with pitch counts and stuff like that.

“But just ready to get out there and go and put our best against their best and see what happens, but we feel pretty confident and ready to go for next week.”

New Prairie 8, Rochester 5

New Prairie 011 303 0 – 8 9 2

Rochester 100 100 3 – 5 9 0

WP – Colton Griffiths (7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K)

LP – Brady Coleman (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K)

2B – Zak Henrich (NP), Tanner Reinartz (RHS)