The Wayne High softball team capped the regular season by defending their place at the top of the Mid State Conference chain with a 5-0 shutout of Guardian Angels Central Catholic in Saturday’s championship game at the Wayne Softball Complex.
The Blue Devils opened tournament play with a 3-2 win over Boone Central/Newman Grove, getting an RBI double from Kayla Fleming and a pair of errors to put up three runs in the opening inning.
The Cardinals made it interesting with two runs in the sixth, but Wayne was able to get out of the jam and Tori Kniesche finished with 19 strikeouts while throwing a two-hitter to advance Wayne to the finals.
Wayne had four hits in the win, including doubles by Fleming and Kendall Dorey, who had two hits. Dorey, Fleming and Virginia Kniesche all scored runs.
Saturday’s final was reminiscent of Thursday’s matchup between the Blue Devils and Bluejays, as the two teams played four scoreless innings before Wayne broke through in the fifth.
Wayne put two runners on when Nicole Fertig was hit by a pitch and Dorey singled. With two out, Wayne was able to draw three consecutive walks that brought two runs home to break the scoreless deadlock.
In the seventh, Wayne got three insurance runs thanks to an RBI single by Brooklyn Kruse and a two-run homer by Brianna Nissen. Kniesche set down GACC with the last of her 16 strikeouts to end the game.
Kniesche and Kruse each had two hits to lead an eight-hit attack for the 25-3 Blue Devils, who have now won 20 games in a row heading into the postseason.
Wayne will be the top seed and host for the B-6 subdistrict tournament that begins Monday at the Wayne Sports Complex. Wayne will face Schuyler at 4 p.m., while Seward faces Blue River at the same time. Winners and losers will play again at 5:30 p.m., with the tournament finishing up on Tuesday.
