A seven-run first inning kickstarted a great day at the plate for the Rochester baseball team, which defeated Elma 15-1 in five innings on Tuesday.
“They set the tone,” Rochester coach Brad Quarnstrom said. “Our guys hit the ball extremely well. It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of.”
Seven different Warriors finished the day with at least one run batted in, including Ethan Rodriguez, who led the way with three. Tyler Huston, Tayden Martin, and Wyatt Dahl each drove in a pair.
Martin, Huston, and Kole Smith finished with two hits apiece, while Simon Barth tallied three hits in five plate appearances.
Quarnstrom was pleased with the way the Warriors “didn’t take their foot of the gas,” and he added that he’s liked how aggressive they’ve gotten over the last handful of games.
“I liked our aggressiveness at the plate and on the base paths,” Quarnstrom said. “We’ve been a very aggressive baserunning team, and we’ve been taking advantage of any miscue the defense gives us.”
Martin was just as solid on the mound, allowing just two hits and an unearned run while striking out five in five innings.
“He did a phenomenal job today,” Quarnstrom said. “Once we got that lead, we kept telling him to attack the zone. And the defense played excellently behind him.”
Rochester (6-4, 4-3 1A Evergreen), which has now won four games in a row, will return home to host Elma in a doubleheader on Friday.
“I like the trajectory we’re on right now,” Quarnstrom said. “We’re playing extremely good baseball right now, but we just gotta continue it.”
