Rosary runs over Hampshire

With an .800 on-base percentage entering Monday’s game against Hampshire, Rosary leadoff hitter Brenda Rocha certainly knows how to ignite the Royals’ offense.

Rocha did it again against the Whip-Purs, laying down a bunt to start the game. Not only did she beat the throw to first, when that throw got away Rocha hustled all the way to third base. And when Hampshire’s infield couldn’t come up with the throw back in, Rocha came around to score on a ball that traveled all of about 25 feet.

That play served as an omen for both teams with Rosary capitalizing on 7 Hampshire errors on its way to a 7-2 victory Monday in Aurora.

“I look forward to starting off games especially at home,” said Rocha, who later drove in a run with a groundout. “I just look to get on base. I don’t really think about how.”

Rosary (3-2) used three pitchers to hold Hampshire (1-4) to 1 hit, a single in the fourth inning by Kendall Walker. The Whip-Purs drew a pair of walks to score a run in the third off starter Audrey Ruddy (2-0) and added their other run in the seventh when a walk to Katie Mazar followed by an error led to an RBI groundout by Sam Sujet.

Alik Keenum, Cassi Zachmann and Maddie Merritt all had 2 hits for the Royals, who broke open a 2-1 game with a 3-run fourth inning — a 5-hit rally that included 3 infield hits.

MacKenzie Astling delivered the hardest hit ball in the inning with her RBI single to right. It turned out to be her only hit as she was robbed on a smash up the middle by Hampshire pitcher Jen Hurst, and then sophomore center fielder Jordan Hook took away another hit with a diving catch in the sixth.

“The ball must have looked like a beach ball because that’s the hardest I’ve seen her hit the ball in two years,” Rosary coach John Kazmierczak said.

Ruddy pitched the first five innings and was followed by Tara Pfieffer and sophomore Cara Smoczynski for an inning each. Kazmierczak is working all five of his pitchers this year after he felt his top pitchers had tired arms down the stretch last season.

As pleased as Rosary was with that collective pitching effort plus an offense that produced 12 hits, it was a pretty airtight defense that was most encouraging. Second baseman Kelsey Arnold ended the game with a diving stop on a ball that looked like a base hit up the middle.

“If we can keep our errors to one or two a game or none we’ll be all right,” Kazmierczak said. “We’ve been harping on pitching and errors to begin the season because we figured it would be erratic coming out here and playing games. I know sometimes the girls get bent out of shape because we talk about errors. But it’s the key to the game. Once they understand that mental aspect of it we can work on the other things we need to work on.”

Unfortunately for Hampshire coach Ken Bram, his team made way too many mistakes. Bram said he had six girls playing out of position.

“People who were out on spring break were back but can’t play right now,” Bram said. “They (the players filling in) are doing the best we can but I still think there were pretty routine plays to make. We’ve got to play better.”

Hurst dropped to 0-4, striking out six and walking two.