Wilson’s 4 RBIs, Rensberger’s 16 Ks help Rochester lock down TRC share

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Aubrey Wilson Bria Rensberger Aubrey Miller

SOUTH WHITLEY — The Rochester softball team is one win away from another undefeated run through the Three Rivers Conference.

Aubrey Wilson had two extra-base hits and four RBIs, and Bria Rensberger pitched a three-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts as the Rochester softball team clinched a share of the Three Rivers Conference title with a 10-0 win over host Whitko Tuesday.

Ranked No. 7 in Class 2A, Rochester improved to 18-3 overall and 8-0 in the TRC. In other TRC action Tuesday, Lewis Cass blanked Wabash 4-0 to stay alive in the conference race.

Lewis Cass (7-1 TRC) travels to Rochester today and will share the conference title with a win. Rochester, who has won 23 consecutive conference games dating back to 2024, seeks to wrap up the outright conference title.

Aubrey Miller also starred for the Lady Zs. In five plate trips, she had two singles and three walks. She stole four bases and scored three runs.

Jadyn Field added three RBIs on an RBI groundout in the third, an RBI single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Brailyn Hunter and Gabby Medina added two hits each. Adalyn Gonzalez had a hit.

Rensberger allowed five baserunners.

She escaped two early jams. With Meredith Hindbaugh on third and one out in the first, she got Reagan Klepinger to foul to first and struck out Sophie Kenner. With Addison Patrick on third and one out in the second, she struck out Breawynn Neer looking and Lilly Irons swinging.

She has allowed nine runs in seven conference games.

“Another great outing for Bria in the circle,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said. “Whitko, I think they understood early that they were going to have to bunt the ball to try and manufacture some runs. Our bunt defense played really well. And credit Bria for bearing down after giving up that leadoff single. There’s not much that fazes her. She settled in really nicely and worked in the change-up about the third, fourth inning, so she spotted the ball really well tonight.” 

Miller led off the game with a walk, and she stole second. Two batters later, Wilson tripled to deep right-center to bring her home. Field’s RBI groundout made it 2-0.

Medina led off the second with a bloop single. Mylee Heinzmann grounded into a forceout and stole second. Emma Mathias’ sacrifice bunt moved her to third, and she scored on a wild pitch.

Miller then grounded a single to center. Gonzalez grounded a single to left. 

Wilson then launched a double over Taylor Long’s head in left. With Miller and Gonzalez running on contact, they scored without a play to make it 5-0. Jadyn Field then grounded a single to center to make it 6-0.

“I’d say she’s probably a medium-speed pitcher,” Wilson said of Whitko freshman hurler Lilly Irons. “I think it’s good for us to see all different types of speed for pitchers, but this was a good speed for us. It’s definitely something that we’re going to see in sectionals too, so I think it’s good for us to see this and be able to hit off it and adjust to it.”

Hunter scored in the third on a throwing error from the catcher on Medina’s sacrifice bunt. Field’s sacrifice fly followed a three-base error on Wilson’s fly ball to right field and made it 8-0 in the fourth. Wilson’s RBI groundout in the sixth made it 9-0, and Heinzmann’s RBI grounder in the seventh made it 10-0.

“I think it would mean a lot to us honestly going into sectionals and carrying that on from last year,” Wilson said of the possibility of a perfect conference record. “It’s just something that we looked forward to at the beginning of the season, so I think it’s just that goal and that mindset that we already just need to know that we need to get it done.”

Coleman spoke of the meaning of potentially achieving an outright conference title against a Lewis Cass team they could also see in the sectional.

“My goal ever since Day 1 becoming a coach was conference and postseason,” Coleman said. “So I know whether Lewis Cass won tonight or they lost, we’re pushing for an undefeated conference. So it’s a big deal for our players and us as a staff as well. So we’re definitely going in there, so we’re definitely going in there, and we’re going to give Cass everything we have.”

The game was delayed at the start approximately 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the umpires. Rochester junior catcher Makhia Harding left after the fourth inning with a dislocated thumb, and Ali Field replaced her.

Rochester 10, Whitko 0

Rochester 241 101 1 – 10 10 0

Whitko 000 000 0 – 0 3 1

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K)

LP – Lilly Irons (7 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K)

2B – Aubrey Wilson (RHS)

3B – Aubrey Wilson (RHS)