BLOOMDALE, OH - APRIL 26: From the left, Eastwood freshman Mackenzie Hady (3), junior Cassi Keeper (9), and sophomore Adyson Bowe (67) celebrate after defeating Elmwood 7-4 in 13 innings on April 26, 2023 at Elmwood High School in Bloomdale, Ohio. (Scott Grau/Sentinel-Tribune file photo)
BLOOMDALE — Lake softball defeated Elmwood, 4-3, Wednesday to mix up the Northern Buckeye Conference race a little more than it already was.
As a result, Eastwood, at 22-3 overall and 11-2 in the NBC, now sits alone in first place and has clinched at least a co-championship. If the Eagles can defeat Genoa on the road Monday, they will win the outright championship.
In the league race, Elmwood is 9-3, Otsego and Genoa are 8-3, Lake is 8-5, Woodmore is 4-10, Rossford is 2-11 and Fostoria is winless in league play.
The Flyers scored three runs in the top of the third, and then scored the winning run in the fifth to pull off the victory.
Kali Bedford got the win in the circle, holding a powerful lineup scoreless through three innings until the Royals broke through for one run in the fourth and two in the sixth to make it a one-run game.
However, Bedford kept the Royals off the board in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win. She struck out one, walked two, and allowed four hits and three runs, but none were earned.
Bedford was also a force at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Diem Isbell was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases.
Jessie Materni and Addison Boehm also hit doubles, and Sarah Patrick, Sophie Gruetter, and Eliie Rymers had base hits for the Flyers.
Gruetter, Rymers and Patrick laid down successful sacrifice bunts, and Gruetter also had a stolen base.
Kate Keiffer led Elmwood, going 2-for-3, T Sander doubled, and the Royals’ only other hit was a single by Abigail Allison, who also had a stolen base. Mariela Garcia scored two runs for Elmwood.
Maddie Milligan pitched for the Royals, taking the loss, after striking out seven, walking one, allowing nine hits and four runs, but just three were earned.
