A.J. Fenske allowed two runs in five innings pitched, and she drove in five runs at the plate to power Republic past Buffalo 16-2 in five innings. Fenske slugged the Lady Tigers’ first home run of the season in the second inning, giving Republic a lead it would never relinquish.
The Lady Tigers banged out 11 hits in all. Riley Laub was 3-for-3 with a walk. Kaitlyn Ragsdale, Megan Weis, and Jaci West added two hits apiece for the Lady Tigers. Weis scored four runs, while Ragsdale, Fenske, Katie Anderson, Laub, and West each scored twice. Weis also threw out a runner at the plate from center field.
In the top of the first, Megan Weis reached on a one-out single, stole second, and scored on a hit by Katie Anderson. Riley Laub singled home Anderson to make it 2-0.
After Buffalo scored a first-inning run, Republic scored three more in the second. West doubled and scored on a Weis, then scored herself on Fenske’s homer over the center field fence, making the score 5-1.
In the third, Republic went up 6-1 on a sacrifice fly by Jaiden Gibbs that scored Laub. Then in the fourth, Ragsdale singled and stole second, went to third on a passed ball, and scored when Weis reached on an error. Weis ended up scoring later in the inning to make it 8-1.
The Lady Tigers put the game away in the fifth. West singled home Emma White and Laub for Republic’s ninth and tenth runs of the night. Zoe Ennes scored on an error, and three more runs scored on a fielder’s choice and an error, making the score 14-1. Fenske eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Anderson came around on a sacrifice fly by Gibbs to account for the 16th run of the night for Republic.
Buffalo scored a single run in the bottom of the fifth.
Fenske picked up her first win in the circle, pitching five innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits. She struck out eight and walked one.
Republic improves to 2-0.