CELINA — In an Acme District 5 tournament game split between two days
and two fields, Van Wert topped St. Mary’s 9-3, earning the Cougars a
berth in this weekend’s state tournament in Coldwater. Van Wert will
play Minster at 2:30 Saturday in the second of four quarterfinals.
“I
didn’t know what to expect,” said Cougar coach Ivan Maples. “This is my
first year doing it. I’m kinda speechless to be honest with you. They
played really, really well. As a team they came together. It was great.”
A
sudden rain had halted Monday’s game at Shawnee in the top of the sixth
with Van Wert leading 5-2, runners at first and third, two outs.
Because of the artificial turf at Celina, the game resumed there Tuesday
evening and between two downpours, the game was squeezed in.
The
Cougars started Monday action on a roll with four first-inning runs on
four hits, three of them doubles. That was not at all indicative of
things to come, as Roughrider starter Braeden Trogdlon found his groove.
Van Wert didn’t threaten again until the sixth when a double by DH
Kaiden Bates and a single by second baseman Jacob Place produced another
run.
Meanwhile, Cougar starter Owen Treece held St. Mary’s in
check, although he didn’t have nearly the command he had earlier in the
tournament when he beat the Riders 2-1 while throwing only 70 pitches in
seven innings. This time, Treece required 91 pitches (52 strikes) in
only five innings. Nevertheless, he got the big pitches when he needed
them, holding the Riders to two runs, both earned, on four hits while
walking four and striking out five.
St. Mary’s scored a run in the
third and another in the fifth. They had mounted another threat in the
fourth, but a perfect rifle shot from leftfielder Ries Wise nailed a
Rider runner at the plate. Thus, Van Wert left Lima and went to Celina
with a 5-2 lead.
Of course, neither Trogdlon nor Treece could
pitch on Tuesday, and the domino effect created several other position
changes as well. Reese Sweigart replaced Trogdlon on the hill, and
Parker Conrad did likewise for Treece.
Sweigart escaped the top of
the sixth without further damage, and St. Mary’s immediately jumped on
Conrad in the bottom half. The Riders started with doubles by Trey
Fisher and Andrew Ibrahim to get within 5-3. However, Conrad escaped
with no further damage, thanks largely to a nice inning ending play by
shortstop TJ Reynolds.
Van Wert pretty much ended the suspense in
the top of the seventh with four runs. Reynolds led off with a
hit-by-pitch, and Conrad walked, to be replaced by pinch runner Hunter
Bolenbaugh. Reynolds got to third on a balk, and Bolenbaugh took second
without a throw. Reynolds scored on a passed ball, and Bolenbaugh came
in on an errant pickoff throw to make it 7-3.
First baseman Turner
Witten ripped a single up the middle for his third hit of the game, and
he was replaced by pinchrunner Logan Collins. After catcher Treece
fouled out, Bates walked. Place poked an opposite-field single to right.
The throw home appeared to have Collins beaten, but it escaped the
catcher, allowing both Collins and Bates to score — 9-3, Cougs.
Conrad
retired St. Mary’s 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the game ending
on a dandy backhand stab and throw by second baseman Place.
“He
(Conrad) came out and struggled a little bit, then he started to hit his
groove,” said Maples. “Once he hit his groove, I knew we were in good
shape. Then once we scored a couple of runs, I knew we were in really
good shape. It was great to see the boys just keep hitting. Defensively,
we made a couple of good plays, too.”
Van Wert (ab-r-h-rbi)
Keaton
Brown cf 4-0-1-0, TJ Reynolds c/ss 2-2-0-0, Parker Conrad 3b/p 2-1-0-0,
Hunter Bolenbaugh pr 0-1-0-0, Turner Witten 1b 4-1-3-3, Logan Collins
pr 0-1-0-0, Owen Treece p/c 4-1-1-0, Kaiden Bates dh 3-2-2-1, Jacob
Place 2b 4-0-2-2, Levi Eddins rf 4-0-0-0, Ethan Rupert ss/3b 3-0-1-0,
Ries Wise lf 0-0-0-0. Totals 30-9-10-6.
St. Mary’s (ab-r-h-rbi)
Adam
Tobin ss 3-0-0-0, Ty Kiehl ss 1-0-0-0, Braeden Trogdlon p/cf 4-1-2-1,
Henry Spencer 1b 2-0-1-0, Dylan Trogdlon rf 4-0-0-0, Carson Fischbach cf
3-0-0-1, Reese Sweigart p 0-0-0-0, Logan Hale 3b 4-0-0-0, Dakota
Bensman dh 1-0-0-0, Zach Hesse pr 0-0-0-0, Trey Fisher dh 1-1-1-0, Ethan
Wedding c 0-0-0-0, Andrew Ibrahim lf 2-1-1-1, Derek Fisher 2b 3-0-1-0.
Totals 28-3-6-3.
Errors: Rupert 2, Wedding 2. PB: Wedding. Sac
Fly: Fischbach. SB: Treece, Bates, Ibrahim, Reynolds. HBP: Conrad (by
Trogdlon), Reynolds (by Sweigart). Doubles: Brown, Witten, Treece,
Bates, Trey Fisher, Ibrahim. LOB: VW 6, SM 9.
Van Wert 400 001 4 - 9 10 2
St. Mary’s 001 011 0 - 3 6 2
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)
Treece (W) 5-4-2-2-4-5.
Conrad (S) 2-2-1-1-0-0.
B. Trogdlon (L) 5.2-8-5-5-2-5.
Sweigart 1.1-2-4-2-0-0.
Balk: Sweigart.
Pitches/Strikes: Treece 91/52, Conrad 28/17, B. Trogdlon 90/55, Sweigart 36/17.