Rochester, Pioneer, John Glenn split 3-way softball doubleheader

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

In their first meeting since last year’s sectional final, the Pioneer softball team turned the tables against host Rochester at Fansler Field Saturday.

But then John Glenn turned the tables on Pioneer. And then Rochester turned the tables on John Glenn.

It was a three-way doubleheader that needed sturdier tables as all three teams went 1-1. Pioneer beat Rochester 13-1 in five innings, John Glenn beat Pioneer 11-9, and Rochester beat John Glenn 11-3.

Pioneer 13, Rochester 1 (5 innings)

Freshman shortstop Averi Layer went 3 for 3 with an RBI, and Hollie Zellers added two hits and an RBI in Pioneer’s win over Rochester. Kamryn Newby, Lois Layer, Olivia Fisher, Ava Ott, Lucy Angle and Laylah Demond had one hit each. Ava Beasy had two RBIs, and Lois Layer and Fisher also had an RBI.

Lois Layer pitched a four-hitter with four walks and six strikeouts in the circle.

Brailyn Hunter had the lone Rochester RBI on a sacrifice fly in the third inning. It scored Aubrey Miller, who doubled and stole third.

But Rochester pitchers Bria Rensberger, Emma Mathias and Mia Howdeshell combined to allow 11 hits and walk four. Seven of the runs allowed were unearned thanks to five errors.

“In one word, awful,” Rochester coach Jim Coleman said of the defense. “Right after this game, we talked about that. I feel that our last seven innings… we are not playing like we’re capable of playing. Our lack of focus, just the energy that we brought this morning wasn’t anywhere near where we need to be. We had several players that came in and did not have a good warm-up, and I made several changes early just because of the lack of focus.”

Pioneer has a returning pitcher in Lois Layer, but coach Gabby Thomas is integrating freshmen Averi Layer, Lucy Angle and Laylah Demond into the lineup. A fourth freshman, Michelle Wank, did not bat but played center field as the flex player. A fifth freshman, Hallie Lebo, started at second base against John Glenn. A sixth freshman, Victoria Bingaman, appeared as a pinch-hitter in both games.

The only senior in the starting lineup is speedy designated player Kamryn Newby.

“I don’t know if they’ve played a ton of travel (ball),” Pioneer coach Gabby Thomas said. “I know for sure our freshmen Angle and Averi Layer have played some travel ball, but what’s great about our program is our junior high practices right on the same field or a similar field, so we’re able to as a high school staff see them and say to those coaches, ‘Hey, you need to work on this,’ or ‘Hey, looking ahead, you need to play these girls in these spots,’ and sometimes we’ll use them as baserunners, so it’s been helpful.”

Pioneer 13, Rochester 1

Pioneer 103 72 – 13 12 2

Rochester 001 00 – 1 3 3

WP – Lois Layer (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K)

LP – Bria Rensberger (2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

2B – Laylah Demond (PIO), Hollie Zellers (PIO), Addison Kennell (PIO), Aubrey MIller (RHS)

John Glenn 11, Pioneer 9

John Glenn scored seven runs in the second inning to erase a 3-0 deficit. They hung on after Pioneer cut what had been a 10-4 deficit down to 10-9. 

Trailing 11-9 in the bottom of the seventh, Zellers and Newby started with back-to-back singles, and Lois Layer’s grounder to second moved the potential tying run into scoring position. But Beasy lined into a game-ending double play with Newby getting caught off second.

Beasy went 3 for 5 with an RBI, and Addison Kennell had two hits and three RBIs. Demond had two hits and two RBIs, and Newby and Lois Layer added two hits each. Zellers had a hit, and Ott walked and later drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Katelynn Haynes walked three times.

“The girls got up and they were aggressive from the start,” Thomas said. “They really understood the zone and then hit their pitch. They trusted each other in knowing that maybe if they didn’t get the best at-bat, that next person was going to get that next at-bat.”

John Glenn had 16 hits off Haynes and Lois Layer, including an inside-the-park two-run homer from Makinzie Kline that put John Glenn ahead for good at 4-3 in the second inning.

Kennell was the catcher against Rochester, and Beasy caught against John Glenn. Thomas plans on splitting time between Kennell and Beasy behind the plate and at first base. Casey Webb and Emma Sells, last year’s catcher and first baseman, respectively, graduated.

“Our outfield, the only person that was consistent all four games has been Michelle, so we’ve been rotating those girls in there, so trying to figure those out,” Thomas said. “Because we’ve got speed. It’s just figuring out who jells the best. And then, as far as first and catcher, Addison Kennell and Ava Beasy, we said at the beginning of the season we know you’re not catchers, but they’ve worked their butts off to really work on catching our pitchers. And in our opinion so far, the easiest spot to transfer that catching – thumb up, thumb down – is first base, and that’s why they’re rotating there.”

Averi Layer and Angle missed the John Glenn game due to a family funeral.

John Glenn 11, Pioneer 9

John Glenn 070 030 1 – 11 16 3

Pioneer 310 014 0 – 9 10 3

WP – McKenzie Timm (5 ⅓ IP, 9 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 4 K)

LP – Katelynn Haynes (6 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

S – Lexie Baugher (1 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K)

2B – Addi Manering (JG), Addy Smigielski 2 (JG), Kiara Meadway (JG), McKenzie Timm (JG), Lois Layer (PIO), Addison Kennell (PIO)

HR – Makinzie Kline (JG)

Rochester 11, John Glenn 3

Aubrey Wilson went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored, and Bria Rensberger had three hits and an RBI and also struck out 12 in the circle for Rochester (4-1) in the win.

Jadyn Field had two hits and three RBIs while splitting time between third base, catcher and first base.

Darah Strasser roped a two-run double to deep right field as part of a five-run fifth.

Wilson said she worked on her hitting with Coleman after practice Friday.

“Obviously, I haven’t been hitting as well as I’ve wanted to lately, but I stayed a little bit after practice yesterday and hit with Jim, and I’ve just been really focusing on getting my swing down, but I’d like to be able to expand my hitting all around,” Wilson said.

After the Lady Zs committed five errors against Pioneer, freshman Emma Mathias made her first career start at shortstop and had a hit and an RBI.

“Right now, we’re trying to find the right pieces, and Emma definitely came in and gave us a spark,” Coleman said.

Rensberger had at least one strikeout in every inning. After throwing 55 pitches against Pioneer, she threw another 150 against John Glenn. Rensberger walked six, but only one of the walks came around to score.

She finished her day by striking out Lexie Baugher and Addy Smigielski to end the game.

“Our big thing is our focus has to be there from the start,” Coleman said. “The Pioneer game, we showed up, and I think our girls thought 3-0, we can go out, and any team we play is going to lay down and allow us to walk on them. Pioneer came in focused and ready to play, and we were far from focused. Our defense was the worst I’ve ever seen it. We had a long talk. The girls came out. Still, on our right side, first and second base committed some errors, and walks and errors led to those three early runs, but credit our players.

“What we didn’t do in that first game was battle and keep competing. And every at-bat, we challenged the pitcher. We did a much better job putting the bat on the ball, bunting the ball, sacrificing, and doing the little things that we didn’t do in the last two innings against Plymouth (an 11-7 win Thursday) and five innings with Pioneer.”

Rochester 11, John Glenn 3

John Glenn 102 000 0 – 3 5 2

Rochester 003 152 X – 11 11 2

WP – Bria Rensberger (7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 12 K)

LP – McKenzie Timm (4 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K)

2B – Makinzie Kline (JG), Bria Rensberger (RHS), Darah Strasser (RHS)