Rensberger pitches 2-hitter, fans 16 in win over Northfield

Miller has 3 RBIs, extends state steals lead; Hunter, Wilson also have 3 RBIs

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Mia Howdeshell Lillee Conley

WABASH — It was a momentary lapse in another outing of sheer dominance when Rochester sophomore pitcher Bria Rensberger gave up a home run to Northfield’s Kirsten Rife in the fourth inning of their softball game at Northfield Monday.

The dominance continued shortly thereafter, and the hitters jumped in to help out after that.

Rensberger finished with a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts, and Aubrey Miller stole three more bases to add to her state lead as the Lady Zs rolled to a 17-1 win in six innings.

Miller went 4 for 5 with three RBIs out of the leadoff spot, and the only time she did not get a hit, she reached on an error after hitting a rocket on the ground at the shortstop.

Brailyn Hunter and Aubrey Wilson added three RBIs each, and Jadyn Field went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Lilee Conley had two RBIs.

Senior first baseman Mia Howdeshell, who was flexed out of the lineup in the previous game against Bremen Saturday, reached base all four times up on two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch and scored four times.

Rensberger had a hit and an RBI, Darah Strasser had a hit and a run scored, and Gabby Medina walked twice and scored twice.

Already leading 5-1, Rochester scored 12 more times in the sixth to end any doubt.

Medina led off with a walk, Howdeshell singled, and Strasser reached on an infield single when second baseman Stella Stephens’ throw to Emma Shrock at second trying for a forceout was late.

Miller then reached on an error, scoring Medina. Hunter singled home two runs. Wilson singled, scoring MIller. Rensberger doubled down the third baseline to score Hunter and move Wilson to third. Field then singled to center to score Wilson and courtesy runner Audrey Widman to make it 12-1, and when the center fielder booted the ball for an error, Field advanced to second.

Widman walked. Howdeshell was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Conley then sent a hot grounder up the middle. The shortstop kept the ball in the infield, but Field scored and a hustling Widman scored all the way from second for a pinch-hit two-run infield single.

Miller reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Hunter drove in a run with an RBI grounder to short.

Wilson then scorched a grounder that went under the shortstop’s legs for a three-base error that scored Conley and Miller.

“We finally adjusted in the box and stayed back,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said. “We get so aggressive in the box that we get out early, and any pitcher that’s a little bit slower we struggle with. We fought with that last week as well. We finally adjusted the third time through. We were on them again today about we’ve got to be able to adjust a lot quicker. One time through, we get it, but the second time through, we’ve got to be able to adjust and put the pressure on their defense. Fortunately, Bria was stellar again in the circle, and that gave us an opportunity the third and fourth time through to start adjusting.”

Miller came into the game with 19 stolen bases and finished with 22. The 22 stolen bases lead the state, per MaxPreps.com.

She led off with an infield hit off Northfield starter Emma Warnock, stole second, moved to third on Hunter’s fly out to deep center and scored on Wilson’s groundout to second base.

Miller, who has verbally committed to play at Gannon University, an NCAA Division II school located in Erie, Pa., said she is enjoying the game more with her college decision out of the way.

“I feel so much more relaxed,” Miller said. “I’m not stressing about how good I’m doing. I’m just worried about helping my team.”

Miller, a left-handed slap hitter, has emphasized being “more disciplined” and being “more dialed in on the ball” at the plate.

“I mean last year, I had 28 strikeouts, and this year I only have five,” Miller said. “I was working a lot on my walk and strikeout ratio, and I’m just trying to be more disciplined at the plate.”

Rochester made it 4-0 in the second. Medina walked, went to second on a wild pitch and went to third on Howdeshell’s single.

Strasser struck out on a confusing play. Northfield catcher Bella Myers appeared to catch strike three on the fly, but she threw the ball to first base anyway, and Medina promptly stole home.

The umpires conferred and determined that Myers did catch strike three but allowed Medina’s steal of home to count.

Miller then hit a hard low liner in the direction of the shortstop, but it was determined that the ball was trapped, and the throw to get Miller at first was late, scoring Howdeshell.

Two batters later, Wilson’s fly to shallow right dropped for a two-out single. That brought home Miller, who had advanced to second on an error on the first baseman and stolen third.

Right fielder Sophie Powell threw out Wilson trying to stretch her hit into a double, though Rochester claimed to no avail that the first baseman had interfered with Wilson’s path to second base.

In the fourth, Howdeshell walked and stole second and third and scored on Miller’s base hit.

“Mia’s one that defensively, we have to have her at first base,” Coleman said. “She’s been struggling a little bit with the stick. Tonight was one of those nights I wanted to give her another opportunity. And you know, she proved she belongs in that batting lineup. So Mia handles the bat extremely well, can put a bunt down. And the one thing about her, you look at her, she’s not blessed with speed like (older sister and current University of St. Francis player) Emma was, but she’s very headsy. She reads the pitcher very well. She gets a great jump off the bases, and she anticipates so well. She stole a base again tonight and one against Twin Lakes (Friday), (where) I didn’t even give her the steal sign. She just read it and took the extra base. So very headsy. She’s played a lot of softball and is somebody when we can get her on base, she’s a huge asset.”

Meanwhile, Rensberger’s nuclear arsenal resulted in nine straight strikeouts to start the game. Ali Copeland was the first to put the ball in play when she grounded to Wilson at shortstop to start the fourth. 

Rensberger struck out Lilly McCollister before Rife connected to end the perfect game bid. The only other home run Rensberger has allowed in her prep career came against Pioneer’s Casey Webb in last year’s sectional final.

But Rensberger stayed the course, and the only other hit she allowed came on Myers’ two-out single in the sixth. By then, Rochester had a 16-run lead.

Rochester 17, Northfield 1 (6 innings)

Rochester 130 10(12) – 17 15 1

Northfield 000 100 – 1 2 3

WP – Bria Rensberger (6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 16 K)

LP – Emma Warnock (5 IP, 11 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 3 K)

2B – Bria Rensberger (RHS)

HR – Kirsten Rife (NF)