Rensberger shuts out Twin Lakes, gets 500th career K

Miller gets 3 hits, Medina adds 2-run single

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Bria Rensberger

MONTICELLO — Rochester junior softball pitcher Bria Rensberger achieved a milestone she did not even know she was approaching against host Twin Lakes Friday.

Meanwhile, her right arm does not even know when or even if it gets tired.

Pitching for the fourth consecutive day, Rensberger tossed a five-hit shutout with one walk and 14 strikeouts and recorded her 500th career strikeout along the way as the Lady Zs won 6-0.

In 24 innings over the four games this week, Rensberger allowed four runs for a 1.16 ERA while striking out 44. More importantly, she got three wins and a save as the Class 2A, No. 10 Lady Zs improved to 11-2.

“My arm feels fine,” Rensberger said. “I’ve been struggling with a shin injury right now. I have shin splints in my landing leg, but I feel like I take care of my body pretty well, so after these two days of rest, I’ll be ready to go for conference.”

Leadoff hitter Aubrey Miller had three of Rochester’s nine hits, and she also drove in a run. Aubrey Wilson had two hits, and Gabby Medina had two RBIs. Miller, Adalyn Gonzalez, Jadyn Field and Brailyn Hunter had one RBI apiece.

Leadoff hitter Miya Clerget had three of Twin Lakes’ five hits, but the 2-3-4-5 hitters in Twin Lakes’ lineup went a combined 0 for 11.

Rensberger allowed at least one hit in each of the first five innings, but she also retired the final nine batters of the game, and she finally got Clerget out on a fly to right field for the final out.

Rochester gave Rensberger a three-run lead in the top of the first before she threw her first pitch.

Miller led off with a single and scored from first on Gonzalez’s RBI double off Twin Lakes starter Myley Spriggs. Gonzalez advanced to third on Aubrey Wilson’s fly to right. Field singled to left field to score Gonzalez, and when the ball was booted in left field for an error, Field advanced to third.

Ali Field lined out to third, but Hunter’s infield single that deflected off Spriggs and rolled harmlessly behind her scored Jadyn Field.

“Back to back nights, we came out and jumped on the scoreboard early,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said. “With any pitcher, it allows them to settle in a little bit. When Bria’s in the circle, she doesn't need a whole lot.”

Clerget singled to lead off the game. Two batters later, Rensberger hit Morgan Rodziewicz with a pitch. Rensberger then escaped the jam by getting Quinn Gilford to ground into a forceout at third and Spriggs on a grounder to Mylee Heinzmann at second.

Twin Lakes would also get a runner in scoring position in the fourth. Rylyn Rush appeared to ground out to third base, but the home plate umpire ruled that Rensberger had thrown an illegal pitch and that Rush would return to the batters box with a 1-1 count.

Rush would eventually single to right field on a ball that Gonzalez nearly made a shoestring catch on in right field. Rush went to second on a passed ball. Maddy Hook walked, and when ball four was a wild pitch, Rush advanced to third.

Rensberger recovered to strike out No. 8 batter Kendra Hughes and No. 9 batter Alexis Connell.

“No, I didn’t actually know I had 500 strikeouts,” Rensberger said. “I didn’t know about it, so I wasn’t really too happy about it, but I think it’s well-deserved. I’ve put in a lot of time and effort into pitching.”

Meanwhile, Medina grounded a single that just stayed fair down the third baseline to score Jadyn Field and Emma Mathias with two out in the third.

“That’s somebody we’ve been trying to find a spot for offensively,” Coleman said of Medina. “Because she’s been swinging well in practice. She’s getting some confidence, and that was a big hit with two outs and two RBIs there to stretch our lead. At the plate, she’s come a long way, and she’s earned time offensively.”

In the fourth, Kyleigh Little reached on an error when the first baseman dropped a throw on her bunt attempt. Little took second on a wild pitch and beat a close play at the plate when she hustled home on Miller’s bunt single.

Bird pitched three scoreless innings of relief for Twin Lakes.

This was the second of a six-game road trip for Rochester. They travel to Wabash Monday, Southwood Tuesday, Maconaquah Wednesday and Tippecanoe Valley Friday.

Rochester 6, Twin Lakes 0

Rochester 302 100 0 – 6 9 0

Twin Lakes 000 000 0 – 0 5 4

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 14 K)

LP – Myley Spriggs (4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

2B – Adalyn Gonzalez (RHS)