PREP SOFTBALL Banks pitches three-hitter as Blue Devils top Mooney

Ursuline outlasted East Palestine 8-7 in its season opener.
BERLIN CENTER -- Stevie Banks tossed a three-hit shutout to lead the Western Reserve High softball team to a 4-0 shutout of Mooney.
Katie Harmon had two hits and an RBI for the Blue Devils (2-0), while Lindsay Kuedler added a double.
DiAndra DiBacco led Mooney (0-1) with two of the Cardinals' three hits. One was a double.
Ursuline 8, East Palestine 7
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ashley Seimbieda had two hits, including a bases-loaded triple in the first inning. Seimbieda drove in four RBIs for the Irish (1-0).
Ashley Koval added three RBIs, including a two-triple in the fifth.
Mineral Ridge 8, Niles 2
MINERAL RIDGE -- Kaili Gehring allowed no hits in the three innings she pitched. Emily Sheller came on in the fourth inning for the Rams and finished up, allowing two hits.
Niles (0-1) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Rams (1-1) tied it in the bottom half of the inning, then scored four runs in the second.
Chelsea hit a triple and double to spark the Rams. Katie Garland hit a pair of singles and drove in a run. Gehring (1-1) struck out two.
McDonald 13, Rayen 1
McDONALD -- Courtney Vitullo's three hits included two doubles and drove in three runs.
Kayla Puntel added three hits and three RBIs for McDonald.
Kelly Rutushin and Sara Sievert each had two hits for the Blue Devils (1-0), while Lauren Walls had eight strikeouts and Rutushin five in two innings of relief.
Springfield 13, Leetonia 0
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- The Tigers (1-0) scored all their runs in the first three innings, with Christy Warren collecting a triple, double and single.
Springfield's 10-hit attack featured six extra base hits. Kristy Snyder worked four innings, gave up two hits and struck out three to pick up the win.
Columbiana 2, Mathews 1
COLUMBIANA -- The Clippers scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Kristina Davidson pitched a compete game, struck out three and walked one in picking up the win in Columbiana's opener.
The Mustangs (0-1) outhit Columbiana 8-3.
Sue McAleer hit a triple and single while Jessie Hall and Jenna Manz each hit two singles.
Losing pitcher Caitlin Youngs struck out 16 and walked two.
West Branch 5, Canton McKinley 0
CANTON -- The Warriors (1-1) put the game out of reach by scoring three runs in the fifth inning.
Winning pitcher Vana Morgan and Bri Benedict led West Branch's 13-hit attack with three singles apiece. Evelyn Woods added two hits.
Jackie Burkhart collected the Bulldogs' only hit when she singled in the fifth inning.