Wilson has 4 RBIs, A. Field hits 2-run homer for Rochester in win over Eastern

Rensberger, Hunter combine for 13 Ks

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Softball

Bria Rensberger Ali Field Aubrey Wilson

Rochester 13, Eastern (Greentown) 4 (Monday): Aubrey Wilson singled and doubled and drove in four runs, and Ali Field hit a two-run homer as part of a seven-run fifth as the Rochester softball team sectional rival Eastern at Fansler Field Monday.

Jadyn Field added a hit and three RBIs. 

Aubrey Miller and Brailyn Hunter each had a hit and an RBI. Bria Rensberger also had an RBI.

Emma Mathias and Adalyn Gonzalez each reached base twice with Gonzalez scoring three times and Mathias scoring twice.

Eastern committed four errors that led to 10 unearned runs for Rochester.

“I think it was really the girls started being a little bit more patient in the box,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said when asked what the turning point was. “We knew we were starting to get some good cuts against that freshman pitcher, but we just weren’t hitting it hard. I think we finally allowed the ball to travel a little bit deeper in the zone and worked the middle, kind of like what we did against Pioneer and Glenn (a doubleheader sweep on April 11). It just took us four innings to get going.”

Eastern took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth on Emilia Andrews’ two-run homer off Rensberger, but the Lady Zs responded in the bottom half.

Wilson’s RBI single cut the deficit to 4-3. Jadyn Field reached on an error, scoring two runs to put Rochester ahead for good at 5-4. Wilson scored on a passed ball. Hunter added an RBI single, and Ali Field hit a two-out, two-run homer to center field.

“She’s such a tough kid,” Coleman said of Ali Field. “She’s so quiet, and she really works her tail off. Coming in, I know her position is catching behind home plate, but she’s done a terrific job wherever we’ve had to put her, and then you just look at her growth up to this point at the plate, and that home run was big for us, just like her home run against Glenn. That’s a kid that you love to see succeed.”

Wilson’s two-run double, Jadyn Field’s sacrifice fly and Rensberger’s sacrifice foul fly highlighted a four-run sixth.

Rensberger got the win in the circle, allowing four hits and four runs (two earned) in six innings. She walked one and fanned 11. Hunter pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts.

After Andrews’ homer, Rensberger and Hunter combined to retire the final nine batters of the game.

Coleman said Rensberger had been dealing with both a back injury and a “flu bug” in recent weeks.

“Tonight was really the first I think we’ve seen Bria healthy,” Coleman said. “I told her after that fourth inning, ‘You’re throwing better tonight than I’ve seen you throw in a couple weeks.’”

Freshman Paige Wesner took the loss for Eastern. She allowed five hits and nine runs (one earned) in 4 ⅔ innings. She walked two, hit three batters and struck out four.

Rochester 13, Eastern (Greentown) 4

Eastern 101 020 0 – 4 4 4

Rochester 101 074 X – 13 8 3

WP – Bria Rensberger (6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)

LP – Wesner (4 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 9 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 HBP< 4 K)

2B – Aubrey Wilson (RHS)

HR – Andrews (EAST), Ali Field (RHS)