By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (April 23, 2025) – Swanton’s Beyla Remer was to softball as Hall of Famer Greg Maddux was to baseball, as the Bulldogs pitcher put in a Maddux-like performance in Swanton’s 10-0 shutout of Toledo Christian.
Swanton raised their record to 7-8 in hopes of attaining a top four seed in the upcoming Division V District tournament draw.
“I’d love to get that first game at home,” Swanton coach Lauren Yoder said of her team’s goal in getting a sectional final on their own field.
“We talked and said that even though some games we play are not league games, they are all important right now. We need to get wins to get votes for that top four seed.”
Remer was efficient all day, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out five Eagles.
The Bulldogs outfield probably could’ve called the pizza man and had one of the three outfielders go for the pickup as the only two balls that got to the outfield were the Eagles two hits.
“She has done a great job for us all year,” Yoder expressed of Remer’s performance. “It’s tough to do in a league that is as good as ours. Today she worked a lot on her location, and she was great.’
“We have struggled a bit with walks this year but today she had them guessing and was in the strike zone and she was very consistent all game.”
Meanwhile offensively, the Bulldogs only got five hits but took advantage of a myriad of first innings walks and then seven Eagle errors.
Five walks forced home the first two runs in the opening inning, and the Bulldogs padded their lead with a three-run second.
Kinley Curtis’ leadoff base hit was followed by run-scoring singles from Remer and Lacey Shinaver around a throwing error to make it 4-0.
Shinaver scored when she stole second, the throw went through three Eagle players into deep center field.
Four more errors combined with Shinaver’s leadoff triple and a hit from Kendall Baumbarger brought home four more runs in the fourth to put the ‘Dogs ahead 9-0.
The Bulldogs reached the 10-run gap walk-off in the fifth when Remer hit a ground ball through the legs of the Eagles first baseman, and when the ball got away again in the outfield, she circled the bases for the 10th run.
“There were a lot of errors today, but we are smart base runners, aggressive base runners and we did a lot of good things on the bases today,” Yoder said of her team’s ability to make the most of their chances.
“They put the ball in play and that’s all we can ask of them, then have them put pressure on the defense after that.”
Swanton plays Delta in a league game Thursday, hoping to get to the .500 mark on the season. The Bulldogs then host Edgerton for a doubleheader Saturday.
TCHS 000 00 – 0 2 7
SHS 230 41 – 10 5 0
Records: TCHS 4-8, SHS 7-8
WINNING PITCHER: Remer (5 innings, 2 hits 0 runs, 0 earned, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts)
LOSING PITCHER: Yurkovich (4 innings, 7 hits, 10 runs, 5 earned, 7 walks, 3 strikeouts)
LEADING HITTERS: (Toledo Christian) Taylor – double; (Swanton) Shinaver – triple, single, RBI, 3 runs; Baumbarger – double, 2 RBIs; Remer – 2 singles, RBI, 3 runs