Central Michigan University
Fairfield
Rentschler Homers Twice In CMU Softball Win
3/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
James Youness, CMUChippewas.com
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Katelyn Rentschler hit two home runs, one a grand slam, in leading the Central Michigan softball team to a 9-1 non-conference victory over Fairfield.
The game was called after six innings because of the eight-run rule. The win lifted CMU to 8-10. The Chippewas are off on Thursday, and are scheduled to face two opponents on Friday: North Dakota at 9:30 a.m. and South Dakota at 11:45 a.m.
Rentschler's two-out solo homer in the first inning put the Chippewas on top, 1-0. CarolAnn Sexauer put the Chippewas ahead, 3-1, with a two-run double in the third. Allison Curtis followed with a run-scoring single to increase the lead to 4-1. All three runs scored when two were out.
"Scoring early is what you want to do," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "Scoring early takes pressure off the pitching staff. The only issue is that sometimes we sit on the lead. Today we continued to score after establishing the lead."
The Chippewas extended their lead to 5-1 with a run in the fourth, then Rentschler put the game out of reach with her first career grand slam in the sixth.
CMU got its run in the fourth when Lacy Tolfree singled with two out, stole second, and scored on an error.
Laura Vaccaro earned her first career victory in her first career start in the circle. She allowed two hits, a single in the second and a single in the sixth, while striking out three and walking one.
Rentschler, who leads the Chippewas with six homers this season, finished with three hits to lead CMU's 11-hit attack, while Sexauer and Sydney Heath added two apiece.
"We were aggressive and we stayed in each at-bat," Jonker said. "We didn't give up any at bats and we've tended to do that in the past."
Fairfield is 4-6.
