‘She just bore down and dug a little deeper:’ Rensberger fans 14, drives in go-ahead run, leads Rochester past Southwood

J. Field: 3 hits, 2 RBIs; Wilson: 2 doubles

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Bria Rensberger Jadyn Field

WABASH — There was the loud thump of the ball coming off Izzy Ashba’s bat and a second thump of the ball hitting the scoreboard off right-center field that might have made the Rochester softball team’s Three Rivers Conference game against host Southwood seem daunting Tuesday.

But for Rochester pitcher Bria Rensberger, she had to forget about it and get back to work. Rensberger not only did that, but she also drove in the go-ahead run as part of a three-run sixth inning as the Lady Zs went on to beat the Lady Knights 6-3.

Rensberger pitched a three-hitter with two walks and 14 strikeouts. She finished with a flourish, striking out Nika Tyson, Alivia Pershing and Makenzie Wilson to leave Southwood’s Division I recruit Gracie Lambert – she’s headed to Belmont University next year – in the on-deck circle to end the game.

Rochester improved to 14-2 overall and 5-0 in the TRC. They have won 20 straight TRC games dating back to April 2024.

Jadyn Field had three hits and two RBIs for the Lady Zs, and Aubrey Wilson doubled twice and scored three runs. No. 9 hitter Mylee Heinzmann reached base twice and had a two-out RBI single in the sixth.

“First off, when we got off the bus, we knew that we had the mentality that we were going to win,” Field said. “And when we were down, we all knew that we wanted to win really badly, so I felt like that helped us really push and build the momentum that we needed to be able to pull off the win tonight.”

Southwood had no errors over the first five innings, but they had four errors in the sixth that led to three unearned runs off Southwood starter Natalie Sutphin.

Rochester began the inning trailing 3-2. Wilson hit a grounder right at the pitcher, but it went through her legs. Shortstop Avery Lovatto fielded it and threw to first, but it was too late, and Wilson reached on the error.

Field then singled to right-center, and Wilson did not hesitate to test the arm of Ashba, a University of St. Francis recruit, on her way to third. She beat the throw with a head-first dive, and Field went to second on the throw.

With Rensberger batting, Southwood’s catcher tried a back-pick throw from behind the plate to try and pick off Wilson, but the throw went into left field, and Wilson got up and scored the tying run.

The play was not over.

The throw in from the left fielder missed the cutoff player and rolled into the middle of the infield, and Field hustled into third on yet another error.

Rensberger then hit a grounder at the second baseman with heavy English on it. The infield was playing back, willing to concede the run for an out. But Southwood did not get the out as the ball glanced off the second baseman’s glove for the fourth error in a span of three batters.

Field scored, and Rochester regained a 4-3 lead.

Courtesy runner Emma Mathias stole second and went to third on Ali Field’s grounder to second two batters later. Gabby Medina walked, and Heinzmann then looped a liner over Lovatto’s head in left-center for a single that scored Mathias.

Rensberger retired the first two batters in the bottom half before she walked Ashba. Sutphin then singled Ashba to second to bring up Lovatto, representing the go-ahead run.

Rensberger got in on Lovatto’s hands and retired her on a pop to Heinzmann at second base to retire the side.

Rensberger received another run of support in the seventh. Adalyn Gonzalez walked, stole second and went to third on Wilson’s double on a grounder on the left side of the infield.

Gonzalez was thrown out trying to score on a wild pitch with Wilson advancing to third on the play. Jadyn Field then singled to right-center to score Wilson and make it 6-3.

“I noticed that she was throwing outside a lot,” Jadyn Field said of Sutphin. “So I figured, throwing outside, I really got to hit it to right field, and I realized where my runners were, so I wanted to get the ball as far as possible from them.”

Lambert manufactured a run in the bottom of the first. She walked, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on another passed ball.

Rensberger retired 10 batters in a row after the walk to Lambert, but Sutphin nursed the 1-0 lead into the fourth when Wilson led off with a bloop double just inside the right field line.

Jadyn Field then cranked a triple to deep right field to score Wilson and tie the game.

“The first time through, we were just under the ball,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said. “J (Field) definitely made an adjustment in the box. That first hit got her going. It was about the same time last year that Jadyn really turned things on. I hope it continues. Her at-bats have been really good. She looked good yesterday in practice, and then for her to square up her last two at-bats were really key for us. Those at-bats were huge right there in the middle of the game.”

Rensberger fouled to first. Brailyn Hunter followed with a bunt to third baseman Hayven Schipper. Schipper threw out Hunter at first, but Jadyn Field raced home to give the Lady Zs their first lead.

The lead was short-lived.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Morgan Bowman reached on an infield single on a squibber to the right side, and when the throw to try and get her was wild for an error, she advanced to second.

Ashba then went deep.

“If that was the Bria of two years ago, she would have struggled getting over that,” Coleman said. “She’s grown up and grown as a pitcher a great deal to where it’s one of those where it’s going to happen. It’s what you do after that that matters. Great composure on her end. As far as her getting stronger, I would agree. I think she fed off the energy and the momentum of us coming back and getting a couple more runs to retake the lead. You know, she’s tough in that circle and definitely takes things personal. Giving up that home run, for her, she just bore down and dug a little deeper.”

Rochester 6, Southwood 3

Rochester 000 203 1 – 6 8 1

Southwood 100 200 0 – 3 3 4

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 14 K)

LP – Natalie Sutphin (5 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K)

2B – Aubrey Wilson 2 (RHS)

3B – Jadyn Field (RHS)

HR – Izzy Ashba (SW)