Rensberger strikes out 18 in no-hitter, hits 3-run homer in win over Manchester

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Bria Rensberger Darah Strasser

NORTH MANCHESTER — Bria Rensberger pitched a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts, and she also hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run seventh inning as the Rochester softball team stayed unbeaten in Three Rivers Conference play with a 10-0 win over host Manchester Wednesday.

Rensberger struck out everybody in Manchester’s lineup at least once except for Hadley West. West, a Providence recruit and the Lady Squires’ third baseman, lined to shortstop in the second, grounded to second base in the fifth and grounded to third in the seventh.

Rensberger eviscerated the rest of the Manchester lineup. Of her 107 pitches, 76 were strikes.

She retired the first 13 batters with 11 strikeouts before she walked freshman Marysa Stroud with one out in the fifth. She then struck out Karsyn Kamphues and Molly Schanepp to retire the side.

Rensberger hit Ava Sautter with a pitch with two outs in the sixth, but she struck out Alexis Jarrett and then retired Izzy Renz, West and Audra Tobias in order to complete the no-hitter in the seventh.

“I would say it’s the best that I’ve seen Bria throw all season long,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said. “She really had command of most of her pitches tonight. There was only one ball that was hit hard, and that was by West her third time up. So by far, it’s the best that I’ve seen her throw.”

Aubrey Wilson gave Rensberger the runs she needed with a two-run triple off Schanepp in the third inning that scored Aubrey Miller and Brailyn Hunter. Schanepp avoided further damage when she struck out Rensberger and got Jadyn Field on a fly to right.

Rochester extended the lead in the sixth when Mylee Heinzmann walked, advanced to second on Makhia Harding’s grounder and went to third on a passed ball. Gabby Medina’s sacrifice fly to left made it 3-0.

Hunter singled and Wilson was hit by a pitch to open the seventh. They advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Rensberger then homered to straightaway center to make it 6-0.

Harding and Medina had back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 8-0, and Darah Strasser’s RBI single scored Medina to make it 9-0.

Strasser would later score on a passed ball.

Strasser led Rochester with three hits and an RBI, and Hunter had two hits and a walk. Aubrey Miller and Field also had hits.

“Early on, we didn’t strike the ball real well,” Coleman said. “Second time through, we started making better contact against her. I thought Hunter did an excellent job going back up through the middle, and she had a nice line drive down the third baseline as well.

“And we continue to get great offensive production out of Darah Strasser batting ninth for us. She was 3 for 4, had a great at-bat her first time up. And then her second time, she had a fake bunt swing and pulled West in at third and hit a little ground ball in the hole there between short and third base. Darah did a great job at the plate, kept the inning moving for us and gave the top of the order an opportunity to drive her in. Offensively, those two stood out, but you can’t overlook Bria. Her home run in the seventh inning really broke it open for us. She struck out the two previous times and then came back and fouled off a couple pitches her third time up and then hit one dead center for a three-run home run.”

Rochester avenged a 6-2 loss to Manchester last year.

Rochester is 11-3 overall and 3-0 in the TRC. They have won seven in a row.

“Mentally is the biggest growth that I’ve seen,” Coleman said. “We struggled early on with mental mistakes and errors. I was telling (assistant) coach (David) Musselman on the way back from Manchester that I believe this was our first game this season where we did not have an error. … Just from top to bottom, offensively and defensively, we’re doing the little things we need to do to win tough games, tight games.”

Rochester 10, Manchester 0

Rochester 002 001 7 – 10 11 0

Manchester 000 000 0 – 0 0 2

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 18 K)

LP – Molly Schanepp (5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K)

2B – Makhia Harding (RHS), Gabby Medina (RHS)

3B – Aubrey Wilson (RHS)

HR – Bria Rensberger (RHS)