Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Rootstown junior Chloe Gardner was in the zone in pitching Rootstown to an 11-1 triumph on April 28 at home over St. Thomas Aquinas in a game called after 4.5 innings due to the 10-run rule.

The Rovers upped their record to 8-5.

Gardner started and went the distance, yielding just three hits while fanning 11 and walking none.

“Chloe was throwing hard,” Rootstown head coach Paige Byers said. “She had more strikes than balls and was doing a great job of hitting the strike zone.”

Offensively, Gardner helped her own cause by singling twice, doubling and knocking in three runs.

Junior third baseman Lauren Schlaubach had two singles, two RBI and a run.

“Lauren was aggressive at the plate,” said Byers. “She was ready to hit and put the ball in play solidly to the outfield to score some runs.”

Five days earlier, on April 23, Rootstown lost 4-3 at home to Mogadore.

Junior Katie Sisley started and went the distance, giving up eight hits while fanning seven and walking two.

“Katie pitched very well,” the coach said. “She hit her spots, trusted her pitches and relied on her defense to make the plays, and overall we played well defensively. We made two errors, but if we made one we were able to stop it and get back on top.”

At the plate sophomore right fielder Lilly Kamenash doubled, singled twice, drove home a run and scored once. Junior third baseman Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt drilled a two-run homer.

The next day, on April 24, the Rovers squandered leads of 2-0 and 4-3 and wound up losing 7-4 at Burton Berkshire.

Gardner started and went 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits while striking out four and walking four. Junior Makensea Bittner went the rest of the way, yielding two hits while striking out one and walking none.

“Berkshire had some big hitters and put the ball in play well,” said Byers.

Offensively Kamenash had a single, a double and a run.