It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Rochester had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They had just enough and edged the Pioneer Panthers out 7-6. The win was nothing new for Rochester as they're now sitting on 11 straight.
Bria Rensberger spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 18 consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aubrey Wilson, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last six games she's played. Brailyn Hunter was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
On Pioneer's side, Lois Layer put in work no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over eight innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). Layer was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Casey Webb made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Adeline Cripe, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Even though they lost, Pioneer didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with ten strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rochester only tossed six.
Rochester is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 16 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season. As for Pioneer, their record now sits at 19-9.
Rochester is on the road again on Tuesday to play Delphi Community at 6:00 p.m. Delphi Community is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season. Pioneer does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
