Rensberger fans 15, adds RBI single in Lady Z win over Plymouth

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Bria Rensberger Ali Field

Rochester junior softball pitcher Bria Rensberger got a chance to reset after a visit to the circle from coach Jim Coleman during the seventh inning of Thursday’s game against Plymouth at Fansler Field.

She followed with her 15th and final strikeout to stop one final Lady Pilgrim rally in a 5-2 Rochester win.

Rensberger gave herself the lead with an RBI single, and Kyleigh Little also had an RBI single. Jadyn Field had a sacrifice fly, and Mylee Heinzmann had an RBI sacrifice bunt. Ali Field walked and doubled and scored two runs.

Rochester improved to 2-0.

Ivy Stackhouse went 3 for 4 and scored both runs for Plymouth, who dropped to 1-1. However, Stackhouse also took the loss in the circle. The junior lefty allowed four hits and five runs in five innings.

If Rensberger was responsible for 15 outs, the defense earned the other six. Kyndall Marcum led off the seventh with a grounder deep in the hole at short. Aubrey Wilson hosed out Marcus with help from a scoop from first baseman Jadyn Field.

Stackhouse then doubled to deep left and advanced to third on a passed ball. Rensberger struck out Lilly Runyan on a pitch in the dirt. Catcher Makhia Harding had to throw Runyan out, but Stackhouse came in to score.

Lexi Pike then reached on an error and moved to second on Gracie Patrick’s walk.

Coleman visited Rensberger, Harding and the entire infield in the circle. The message was for Rensberger.

“Coach Coleman came out and just sat me down,” Rensberger said. “He was just like, ‘Calm down. I’m coming down here to reset everyone. Just throw your game and take a deep breath.’”

Rensberger struck out Gracie Patrick with runners on second and third and one out in the first. That started a streak of six straight strikeouts.

Rensberger was asked if she watches opposing hitters’ feet in the batting box to see what adjustments they are making.

“I do pay attention to their feet,” Rensberger said. “Especially if they are up on the plate, I’ll throw inside. But if they’re back in the box and away from the plate, I’m going to throw outside because they’re not going to be able to hit it. Throughout the game, I definitely saw them moving back in the box because of their timing.”

Stackhouse broke the strikeout streak with a one-out single in the third. Lilly Runyan walked, and both runners moved up on Lexi Pike’s grounder to first. Rensberger then fanned Gracie Patrick to escape that trouble spot.

Rensberger got Rylee Eisemann to foul out to Harding with a runner at second to end the fourth.

Stackhouse doubled to the left of deep center and scored on Runyan’s single in the fifth, but Rensberger slipped a called third strike past Pike and got Patrick on a fly to left with Brailyn Hunter making a running catch coming in.

Wilson ranged to her right to haul in Eisemann’s liner to end the sixth.

Afterwards, Coleman even remarked on a diving, if unsuccessful, effort that Adalyn Gonzalez made on a foul fly in the seventh inning as an example of how much ground the team can cover defensively.

“That’s one of those things when Bria is in the circle,” Coleman said. “She does have a lot of strikeouts, so our defense, it’s so key to keep them on their toes. … Everywhere defensively, I think we’re strong, and every one of those players can make a play at any given time. But late in the game, for Aubrey Wilson to make that stop in the hole and be able to plant and throw ever, and Jadyn, the first two games she’s ever played first base, to be able to dig that out over there. It’s something that’s definitely a work in progress, but credit our kids for staying focused and staying involved in the game even when Bria’s in the circle.”

Offensively, the Lady Zs were having to adjust to Stackhouse, a lefty who spent her first two prep seasons at Argos.

Miller led off the game by reaching on an error when her grounder to third was briefly fumbled. She stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. She later scored on Rensberger’s ground single just to the right of second base.

A two-out run in the second came courtesy of a throwing error on Miller’s grounder. It scored Ali Field, who walked and moved to second on Kyleigh Little’s sacrifice bunt.

In the third, Wilson led off with a hit, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jadyn Field’s sacrifice fly to right-center.

Ali Field led off the fourth with a double and scored on Little’s liner down the right field line for an RBI single.

Rensberger led off the fifth by reaching second on a throwing error. Courtesy runner Emma Mathias moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Heizmann’s bunt. Stackhouse picked it up, and as soon as she threw to first, Mathias scooted home.

Patrick relieved and pitched a scoreless sixth.

Coleman spoke of the adjustments that it took hitting off Stackhouse. Facing a lefty with speed and movement is uncommon.

“Stackhouse did a great job in the circle for them,” Coleman said. “She really worked the middle away. For us to face a quality pitcher at any given time is only going to make us better. I loved how we competed every inning and kept pushing. But we also have to do a better job against a quality pitcher like that to put more pressure on her. We worked the count a few times, but Plymouth has definitely gotten better every year that we’ve played them since I’ve been a coach. … For us, we have to make those adjustments earlier in the game to be better towards the second half of the game.”

Lady Z notes

• Rochester will travel to Herk Hoffman Field in Royal Center for a three-way doubleheader with John Glenn and host Pioneer Saturday. The Rochester-Pioneer game will start at 10 a.m., and the Rochester-John Glenn game will follow at noon. The John Glenn-Pioneer game will finish the day at 2 p.m.

• Heinzmann, Harding, Stackhouse and Tippecanoe Valley’s Kaitlyn Threlkel are teammates on the Fort Wayne Force 18-and-under Jedi travel team. Threlkel watched the game from the stands, and they all posed for a photo after the game.

Rochester 5, Plymouth 2

Plymouth 000 010 1 – 2 6 4

Rochester 111 110 X – 5 5 2

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 15 K)

LP – Ivy Stackhouse (5 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)

2B – Ivy Stackhouse 2 (PLY), Ali Field (RHS)