Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Lake and Eastwood’s softball programs are off to strong starts in NBC play.
The two teams met April 16 in Pemberville for what was a battle for first place in the conference standings, and the Flyers came out on top, 14-3, to stand as the lone remaining unbeaten team in NBC action.
"It was a tough loss,” Eastwood coach Joe Wyant said. “We couldn't get Lake out. They're for real. We couldn't stop the bleeding. It was hit, hit, hit after hit. We didn't get a couple of key hits, and they swung the bats really well."
Lake, which improved to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in the NBC with that victory, is off to its best 10-game start since 2008, which was the first season under 18th-year head coach Dave Rymers.
The lone loss for the Flyers was a non-league contest to Clyde, and they’ve swept doubleheaders against Gibsonburg and Northwood, their Lemoyne Road rival. Lake has also beaten Oak Harbor and Maumee in NBC play, while also triumphing over Swanton and Delta.
Kali Bedford, one of seven seniors on the team along with LF Ellie Rymers, 2B Sarah Patrick, SS Diem Isbell, C Kylee Pietrzak, RF Addison Boehm and Madyson Buschmann, is the team’s No. 1 pitcher and No. 3 hitter in the lineup.
The righty is 7-1 in the circle with a 3.48 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 46.1 innings. Freshman Parker Dart is the team’s No. 2 pitcher, and she’s 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA over three appearances.
While his team has plenty of games left, Rymers said there are a couple reasons his team is off to a fast start.
"We have a group of seniors and a junior returning from last year that we felt had underperformed from a team standpoint last season, and they have competed each day this season with a sense of urgency,” he said. “We have also added a group of underclassmen that are hungry for varsity success. These girls have bought into the system, they trust each other, and they bring energy and focus every day, whether it's for practice or a game.
“We've also put a lot of emphasis on fundamentals and situational play, and it's showing in close games where we've been able to make the right plays when it counts."
The Flyers have some impressive wins on their resume. In addition to the one over Eastwood, they’ve also knocked off Oak Harbor (8-7) and Maumee (10-9) – both close games in which Rymers referenced.
In the first, the Rockets trailed by six runs in the top of the seventh before scoring five runs and placing the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Bedford, however, retired Allie Giezie on a ground ball to second base to end the game.
Against Maumee, Dart’s two-run single in the sixth gave Lake a 10-8 lead. The Panthers got a run back in the home half of the frame, but Bedford struck out Julia Coutcher with the bases loaded to end the rally and pitched around a pair of seventh-inning singles to seal the one-run win.
"We're definitely proud of those wins,” Rymers said. “Each of those teams brought a different challenge, and our girls rose to the occasion. It shows our growth, not just skill-wise, but mentally and emotionally. To be able to stay composed and execute against strong programs says a lot about where we are going. It also gives us confidence moving forward, especially as we get deeper into league play and into the tournament."
One of the big reasons for Lake’s early success is the play of the rookie, Dart, who is batting .636 with 18 RBIs, four home runs and two doubles over 38 plate appearances. She is hitting .750 with runners in scoring position.
Bedford is second on the team in RBIs with 16 while batting .424. A pair of transfers from Rossford – Caity Extine and Norah Demory – are hitting .526 and .400, respectively. Each of them has five doubles with 19 combined RBIs. Demory leads the team in runs with 15.
Isbell, the team’s shortstop who is signed to play at Division I Detroit Mercy next year, is batting .375 with 14 runs, a team-high seven steals and a pair of home runs. Patrick (.321) and Sophia Gruetter (.318) are also hitting over .300 with 20-plus at bats.
"I said at the beginning of the year that if we can make the routine plays, throw strikes and have productive at-bats, we would give ourselves a chance to be successful," Rymers said. "Kali has attacked hitters and our infield (Isbell, Demory, Patrick and Dart) has made the routine plays, limiting free passes with walks and errors.
“Our outfield is getting better every day, and Kylee Pietrzak has done an excellent job behind the plate. But our biggest strength has been our offense. Our lineup has some pop, and we get contributions one through nine, plus quality at-bats and base running from our bench."
Eastwood ahead of schedule
On the other side, Eastwood is perhaps a year ahead of schedule.
The Eagles, under the direction of legendary Coach Wyant, find themselves off to a fast start at 8-1 and 2-1 in the Northern Buckeye Conference.
Wyant was hoping Eastwood would be tested before conference play, and it was. They answered the call by beating Ayersville twice, Old Fort, Defiance Tinora, Evergreen and Fremont Ross before defeating Rossford and Otsego, ranked fifth in Division V, to begin league play.
"Our most impressive win was Otsego," Wyant said. “Beating Ayersville twice was nice, and so was Tinora, but Otsego was the best (victory)."
The lone blemish for the Eagles is the loss to Lake.
"We're 8-1, which is a whole lot better than I thought we'd be," Wyant said. "Lake was really good — it was not us playing bad, we just couldn't stop them."
The victory over the Knights is the highlight of the season, a sign of just how good Eastwood can be when Kenzie Hady is pitching well and the lineup is producing.
"Otsego put it on Oak Harbor, and some coaches, I was told, thought Otsego was unbeatable and might go 14-0 in the league," Wyant said. "We played really well, and Kenzie got ahead in the count. She had nine strikeouts, and gave up three hits. She just played well, and we played well behind her. We didn't make any errors. We struck out quite a bit, but we put the ball in play when we needed to. We left seven runners in scoring position and just played well."
Ady Bowe, the team’s lone senior, combined with Stella Chlebowski and Grace Meter for the team’s three RBIs against Otsego, and the other two runs scored on an error that Wyant said was a borderline call and could've been ruled a hit.
Bowe is signed to play at Heidelberg University next year.
During Wyant's 18 years coaching the Eagles, his teams have been known for their ability to generate power, but they've won many league and district titles because of good pitching and sound defense.
"Kenzie has had a very good season,” he said. “She throws strikes, and in 43 innings, she's only had six walks. She only walks about one batter per game. That's the key, and the strikeouts, which are at about 10 per game."
In six of Eastwood's wins, Hady has limited the opponents to three runs or less. She's done a marvelous job replacing Cassi Kieper, who pitched for four years and won 87 games before now competing at Siena Heights University in Michigan. The Eagles have also had to replace the production lost by Lilly Escobedo, who hit .536 and earned All-Ohio honors in Div. II last season.
Bowe, the shortstop and lead-off hitter, is followed by RF Kayla Hady, Kenzie Hady, 2B Karly Wasserman, 3B Sophia Rankin, CF Chlebowski, C Maddie Hartman, 1B Jenna Lubash and LF Meter. The lineup features three sophomores and two freshmen.
"We've been winning with five runs, but for the season, we've been putting the ball in play one through nine,” Wyant said. “We've been executing bunts really well. We're playing small ball and hitting — we have a couple of triples and five home runs. My two freshmen, Rankin and Chlebowski, are hitting really well right now, and a few of my older players, they might be a little under their averages, but they can get it back (to where they were). We're playing together as a team.”
Wyant, who sits at 495-192 in his career including stops at Lakota and Oak Harbor, has built one of the finest programs in northwest Ohio. His teams have consistently competed for league and district titles, and the Eagles have won a regional championship during his tenure.
This year, though, Wyant has been pleased with his team’s strong start, especially for a team picked to finish fifth in the NBC.
“We’ve played really well,” he said. “I thought we might only win 15 games this year, and be a little over .500. We have eight wins, and we could (pass the) 20-win (mark). We're playing well, and we're still going to get better."
