Rensberger outduels Hedges, helps Rochester stay unbeaten in TRC

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Softball

Adalyn Gonzalez Gabby Medina

Rochester 4, Northwestern 1 (Wednesday): Bria Rensberger pitched a five-hitter with no walks and nine strikeouts, and Adalyn Gonzalez highlighted a four-run fifth with a two-out, two-run single as the Lady Zs improved to 6-0 in the Three Rivers Conference with a home win at Fansler Field Wednesday.

Rensberger outdueled Northwestern’s Stevie-Rae Hedges, who had retired 11 consecutive batters going into the fifth.

Gonzalez had two of the Lady Zs’ five hits. Rensberger, Gabby Medina and Brailyn Hunter had one hit each.

Rensberger led off the fifth with a single. With Hunter batting, courtesy runner Emma Mathias stole second. Hunter struck out, but Medina followed by lining the first pitch down the left field line for a game-tying RBI double.

Mylee Heinzmann then laid down a sacrifice bunt towards the third baseman. The throw to try and get Heinzmann was wild for an error and went into right field. Medina scored to give the Lady Zs the lead, and Heinzmann advanced to second.

Kyleigh Little’s sacrifice bunt moved Heinzmann to third. Aubrey Miller walked and stole second.

Gonzalez then singled into the hole on the right side of the infield to deliver Heinzmann and Miller.

Rensberger protected the lead from there. She allowed Tessa Ortman’s single with one out in the sixth but got Addy Clark to foul out to catcher Jadyn Field and struck out Avery Madden.

Rensberger retired the first two batters in the seventh before allowing hits to Alexis Turffs and Maci Rody, but she recovered to get Jayda Shanks to ground out to Heinzmann at second to end the game.

Rochester improved to 15-2 overall and 6-0 in the Three Rivers Conference. Rochester has won 21 consecutive TRC games dating back to April 2024.

Northwestern dropped to 10-8, 4-3.

Rensberger got the first nine batters she faced out, but Hedges reached on an error to open the fourth, and she scored on Ortman’s RBI double.

Grace Fischer led off the top of the fifth with a single, but Rensberger fanned Turffs and Rody and got Shanks to ground into a forceout to shortstop Aubrey Wilson to retire the side.

Rochester’s home game with Peru scheduled for today has been postponed due to Peru’s lack of available players. No makeup date has been set.

Rochester will host Culver Academy at 11 a.m. Saturday and then travel to Tippecanoe Valley for another game at 1:30 p.m. Their next conference game is at Whitko Monday.

Rochester 4, Northwestern 1

Northwestern 000 100 0 – 1 5 1

Rochester 000 040 X – 4 5 2

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)

LP – Stevie-Rae Hedges (6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)

2B – Tessa Ortman (NW), Gabby Medina (RHS)