CRESTLINE — The Wynford Lady Royals had their hitting shoes on Thursday night.

The Lady Royals banged out 15 hits, including four doubles and a triple, and took advantage of eight Crestline errors in beating the Bulldogs, 16-5, in five innings.

With the win, Wynford improved to 4-17 overall, 2-12 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference. Crestline fell to 9-8 overall, 5-2 in the Mid-Buckeye Conference.

The Royals started early against Crestline sophomore pitcher Brooklyn Gregory, scoring four runs on five hits in the first inning, and never looked back.

Wynford coach Jamee Jennings said she told her hitters to go up to the plate with a different approach.

“We just told them to go up there with confidence,” Jennings said. “We wanted the first pitch we liked to swing the bat. We’ve watched way too many pitches go by and, instead, the first pitch you like, I don’t care where the pitch is in the zone, I promise I won’t say anything if you go get it.”

Crestline coach Patty Huber said that Wynford’s ability to hit the ball was the difference.

“Wynford is a very good hitting team, and I was a little surprised by that,” Huber said. “I haven’t seen them this year. They hit the ball well.”

Wynford started early. Singles by Adrienne Whitmeyer and Maddy Johnson followed by a two-run single by Autumn Schafer, a run-scoring double from Melanie Johnson, and a run-scoring single by Alexis Stevely.

Crestline cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the first after Maddie Engler singled, scored on an Emma Kirby double. Kirby scored on a single from Gregory and Ivy Stewart added a run-scoring double.

From that point, Wynford starter Mayce Morgan permitted just one hit the rest of the way, a triple by Brynn Cheney in the fourth.

“We had a little conversation in the dugout and just told her to throw with confidence,” Jennings said. “The way we hit the ball in the first inning I thought we would have a day, and, luckily, we did. We turned it back on in the third inning. We wanted her to throw with confidence and she did.”

Huber said that her team didn’t hit like they normally do.

“We also hit the ball a lot better than we did tonight,” Huber said. “Sometimes when we face not as advanced a pitcher we just pop up and ground out.”

Jennings said that her team worked to play small ball and taking bases when they could and get bunts down when necessary.

“That was something we needed to get a little better at coming into the tournament and that was something I needed to see from our team today,” Jennings said. “Having a little bit of a lead that was something we could do today.”

Morgan went the distance, striking out two and walking one.

Box score

Wynford     401 74X X        16      15        1

Crestline   300 11X X          5         5        8

WP: Mayce Morgan (2 SO, 1 W)

LP: Brooklyn Gregory (4 SO 2W)

HR: None.

Triples: (W) Adrienne Whitmeyer; (C) Maddie Engler.

Doubles: (W) Kearston Hulsmeyer, Alli Scott, Melanie Johnson, Katie Wagner; (C) Emma Kirby, Ivy Stewart.

Multiple hits: (W) Katie Wagner 3, Adrienne Whitmeyer, Kearston Hulsmeyer, Autumn Schafer, Melanie Johnson.

Records: Wynford 4-17, 2-12 N10; Crestline 9-8, 5-2 MBC.

Next: Wynford at Seneca East, Friday; Crestline at Mansfield St. Peter’s, Tuesday.