(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
NWOAL SOFTBALL … Bryan pitcher Thea Staten (pictured) reached 20 strikeouts in a game for the third time in her career as Bryan edged Swanton, 3-0.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (April 28, 2025) – Thea Staten struck out 20 and the Golden Bears scored a single run in three innings for a 3-0 win at Swanton.
With the win, Bryan stays in the hunt for the league title as they remain one game back of first-place Archbold as the league schedule winds down.
Bryan plated their first run in the second frame as Averyann Fisher had a leadoff double before moving to third on a Mylie Vollmer single to left.
A Mackenzie Blevins sacrifice fly to right field scored Fisher to make it 1-0 and Vollmer, who advanced to second on the throw on her single, also tagged up to advance to third.
Emaline Slagle then reached on a sac bunt as Vollmer was held at third and Gisele Kidston would walk to load the bases with still just one out.
Swanton starter Beyla Remer escaped the inning without any more damage being done after Amiyah Langham popped to shortstop and Reese Ruffer flied out to center.
Staten would surrender a double to Cara Ludlow in the second and a walk Lacey Shinaver in the third but worked around them with the help of six strikeouts.
After coming up empty in the fourth after loading the bases, Bryan put another run on the board in the fifth.
Staten laced a one out double and Arnold followed with a double to center to score Analicia McCoy-Martinez, who was a courtesy runner for Staten, to make it a 2-0 game.
With Staten keeping the Swanton hitters at bay, the Golden Bears added an insurance run in the seventh.
With one away, Ruffer singled to right and Staten was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base for the Golden Bears as McCoy-Martinez entered the game as a courtesy runner for Staten.
Arnold then delivered her second RBI and second hit of the game on a single to center to bring home Ruffer and make it 3-0.
Three runs were more than enough for Staten who struck out three more to offset a Ludlow single in the bottom of the seventh to close it out.
Staten allowed four hits on the night with one walk to go with her 20 strikeouts. This marks the third time in her career she has reached 20 or more strikeouts in a game, making her just the fifth softball pitcher to accomplish that according to OHSAA records.
Remer went the distance for the Bulldogs in taking the loss, allowing nine with two walks and three strikeouts.
BHS 010 010 1 – 3 9 0
SHS 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
Records: BHS 10-3, 4-1 NWOAL; SHS 8-11, 3-2 NWOAL
WINNING PITCHER: Staten (7 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 20 strikeouts)
LOSING PITCHER: Remer (7 innings, 9 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts)
LEADING HITTERS: (Bryan) Staten – double; Fisher – double; Arnold – double, single, 2 RBIs; (Swanton) Faber – double; Ludlow – double, single
TAKING A SWING … Swanton’s Alexa Faber makes contact during an at-bat during an NWOAL softball game last Monday.