By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PEMBERVILLE — Karly Wasserman paced the Eastwood softball team at the plate on Wednesday, helping the Eagles push across three runs in the first inning to ignite a 5-2 win at home over Otsego.

“It was really important,” Wasserman said of the team’s early success. “We needed to keep hitting continuously, and I think we did a good job with that. I knew I needed to attack strikes in order to get on base, so I did what I had to do.”

Wasserman finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI out of the two-hole. Early on, her bunt single in the first inning put a pair of runners in scoring position, which Maddie Hartman capitalized on with a two-run triple to right.

Cassi Kieper followed with a line drive single to right for a 3-0 lead as the Eagles (16-8) scored all their runs in the game with two outs.

“We usually come out in the first inning and score in I bet 90% of the games we’ve played this year,” Eastwood coach Joe Wyant said. “For some reason, we’re good with that. We just have to learn to play every inning. Sometimes we get a lead, and I wouldn’t say we relax, but we’re not as intense as we started out.”

Otsego battled back as Ryleigh O’Brien’s RBI single in the third and Ava Weaver’s solo home run to center pulled the Knights within one.

Mackenzie Shirkey led the Knights with a 2-for-3 performance from the eight-hole, and she added one run. Riley Rowe also had a hit, but Otsego managed just five hits as a team off Kieper.

“I thought Kieper did a nice job,” Otsego coach Jason Colyer said. She’s done a great job (this year). Credit to her and her team for coming out and swinging the bat early.”

“We made some adjustments at the plate and put better swings on the ball, but sometimes it just doesn’t result in what we were hoping for.”

After Otsego (15-8) trimmed its deficit to one, Eastwood responded with two more runs in the home half of the fourth. The first came on an RBI single to center from Bowe, which scored Cynthea Casdorph, who singled to lead off the inning.

Wasserman then delivered an RBI single to center to give the Eagles a three-run lead, which ultimately became the final margin.

“We put the ball in play,” Wyant said. “When we do that, good things happen. For us offensively, Karly got on and had a big crucial hit twice.”

After that, Kieper retired nine of the final 12 batters she faced, allowing just a two-out single to Riley Rowe in the fifth, a two-out walk to Cailyn Rider in the sixth and a one-out double from Shirkey in the seventh.

In total, Kieper allowed just five hits, one walk and two runs (one earned) over seven frames while striking out eight.

Over her last six outings, Kieper has a 1.13 ERA with 74 strikeouts. The stretch has also included no-hitters against Delta and Rossford.

“The last two weeks, she’s been really, really good,” Wyant said. “I think she gets ahead. No. 1, she doesn’t walk people. I think she walked maybe one tonight. Normally, she just gets ahead of hitters.”

Rowe took the loss for the Knights despite striking out 10 and allowing just seven hits and two earned runs over six innings.

Otsego will be back in action against Wauseon at 5 p.m. on Friday in a sectional championship.

“I’m looking for us to bounce back,” Colyer said. “Every day is a new day and a new opportunity. And we’re looking forward to the opportunity to play in the tournament and have a deep run if possible.”

Eastwood, meanwhile, will host Toledo Central Catholic at 5 p.m. on Friday in a sectional championship.

“I hope it’s just like today,” Wyant said. “(Central) has a nice pitcher. We have to be ready, play just like we did tonight, focus and do the little things. We’re doing little things right.”

Should Eastwood and Otsego win on Friday, they would both meet in the district semifinal on May 15.