OBSERVER Photos by Matt Spielman Westfield’s Keara Kincaid, far left, and Tanleigh Bestine, center, mob teammate Brynn Ernewein after her fifth-inning home run against Panama during Saturday’s Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West game in Westfield.

WESTFIELD — Coach Shawn Gnadzinski implored his Westfield team to up its intensity level all game Saturday.

In the end, all it took was a home run from an unlikely source.

Brynn Ernewein circled the bases with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning and sophomore pitcher Haleigh Dellow grinded through a one-hit masterpiece as the Wolverines edged Panama 2-1 in an early-season Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West showdown.

“I knew it was going to be a one-run game,” Gnadzinski said. ” … I’m proud of my girls that they pulled it out.”

“It was really huge for us. We knew it was going to probably be our hardest game,” Dellow added. ” … It was great that we were able to pull out the win.”

Dellow struck out 15 while walking seven and hitting a batter as Westfield improved to 4-0 overall and in the league.

“It’s been three years in the making. She got her first varsity start a few weeks ago,” Gnadzinski said. “She’s done nothing but impress. She’s put a lot of work in. … She’s earned it.”

Not to be outdone, Panthers senior ace Ashlyn Harvey tossed a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts while walking just one.

“They’re a great team. It’s fun to play those games. You wish you came out on the other end,” Panama coach Tammy Hosier said. “It was a great pitchers’ duel.”

Dellow struck out the side in the second, fourth and fifth innings, but wasn’t in line for the win until Ernewein came through at the plate in the fifth.

With the game tied 1-1, the freshman left fielder came to the plate with one out. While batters on both teams were late swinging all day due to the overpowering fastballs of both Dellow and Harvey, Ernewein jumped on a delivery from the Panthers’ right-hander. The line drive bent away from the outstretched glove of Panama’s left fielder and — with no fence in Westfield — rolled for what felt like forever.

“Her first at-bat, she took three good hacks. I told her she was right on those pitches,” Gnadzinski said. “… Sure enough she smashed one down the left-field line.”

By the time a Panthers outfielder got to the ball, Ernewein was already past second base and she eventually touched home without a throw as her Wolverines teammates greeted her at the backstop.

“It was amazing,” Dellow said. “That basically sealed the win for us.”

Panama put its leadoff batter aboard in the top of the sixth inning, but she was erased on a caught stealing for the second out.

Again in the seventh, the Panthers put a runner on with one out after Dellow hit a batter, but eighth-grader catcher Sydney Hotchkiss caught a foul bunt attempt for the second out and threw down to first before the Panama runner could retreat for a double play to end the game.

“Bunts can win or lose a game,” Hosier said. “Unfortunately, it kind of lost it for us today.”

Other than the 15 strikeouts she caught, Hotchkiss caught two foul bunts and also had three assists in the game.

“She’s just tough as nails,” Gnadzinski said. “She’s been making plays all year.”

The Panthers got on the board first in the third inning. Sophomore Peyton Range walked to open the inning and moved to second on a walk to freshman Sarah Harvey. With two outs, sophomore Mandy Brink picked up Panama’s first hit of the day with a single to right-center field. The Westfield throw to the plate was late to get Range, but Hotchkiss alertly threw down to freshman third baseman Keara Kincaid, who tagged out Harvey before she reached the bag.

The Wolverines tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dellow led off with her team’s first hit of the day. She then stole second and third base before scoring on a two-out wild pitch.

“A lot of people ask why she doesn’t bat third or fourth. I want her to have as many at-bats as she can,” Gnadzinski said. “With her speed, she gets on, she can steal bases and put herself in scoring position.”

The Panthers stranded two runners on in the top of the fifth inning before Westfield took the lead for good in the bottom half.

“I expected it to be a low-scoring game,” Dellow said. “We just had to keep our heads in it and wait until we started hitting.”

In what will likely be a competitive division throughout the spring, it appears Panama (2-1, 2-1) and Westfield will be the cream of the crop. They will meet again June 10 in Panama.

“We were excited for this game,” Hosier said. ” … We knew it was going to be a good test for our new players.”

NOTES: Panama’s Ashlyn Harvey and catcher Marra Hovey are the only two seniors on either teams’ roster. … Westfield started two sophomores, five freshmen and two eighth-graders. … The Panthers started two seniors, a junior, three sophomores and three freshmen.