BLUE DEVILS ONE STEP CLOSER TO A TROPHY

BERLIN CENTER OH- Katie Byers was the hero for Western Reserve as she powered her team to a commanding 13-4 win over Windham on Wednesday. Byers was on fire, driving in five runs with three hits, including a bases-clearing single in the second and a two-run homer in the fifth.

On the mound, Byers was just as dominant, striking out 10 while allowing four runs across seven innings. Her control wavered a bit with seven walks, but she kept the hits down to just five.

The action started early for Western Reserve, scoring right off the bat in the first inning thanks to walks drawn by Lindsay Jones and a timely single from Sophia Reigle. The team really turned up the heat in the second inning with Byers’ three-run single, and they didn’t look back from there.

Chloeigh Endsley doubled to add another run in the third, making it 6-2. The fifth inning saw Western Reserve seal the deal with seven runs, highlighted by Reigle’s two-run homer and Byers’ second blast of the day.

Windham’s Ka’neese Cunningham, despite a tough day in the circle surrendering 13 runs, managed to contribute with a bat, driving in two runs.

Western Reserve showcased a balanced attack at the plate with 14 hits total. Aubrey Kutsko, Maylin Hartzell, Reigle, Allison Jones, and Caylee Selley all had multiple hits, helping their team maintain pressure throughout the game.

Defensively, both teams were on point with no errors. For Windham, Sydnie Sweet was busy in the field with the most chances.

Next up, Western Reserve is set to face Canton Central Catholic in the district semifinals at Badger High School, Monday at 5:30 PM.