Weekend recap: baseball, softball, tennis

Van Wert independent sports

Baseball

Bryan 13 Van Wert 9
Van Wert 25 Bryan 22

Van Wert and Bryan split a doubleheader with Bryan at Smiley Park on Saturday with the Golden Bears handing the Cougars their first loss of the season in the opening game, followed by a wild comeback by Van Wert in the second game.

In the first game, Van Wert fell behind 11-2 after three innings and never recovered. Four of Van Wert’s runs came in the fifth inning. TJ Stoller’s single scored Owen Treece and Turner Witten, Ries Wise drove in Ethan Rupert, then Stoller scored on a passed ball.

Stoller finished with two hits and four RBIs and Wise finished with two RBIs.

In the second game, Van Wert trailed 17-13 entering the bottom of the sixth, but the Cougars scored 12 runs and rallied for a 25-22 win.

Aidan Pratt started the rally with a sacrifice fly that scored Rupert, then the remaining runs came with two outs. Kaiden Bates singled in Josh Halker, Jacob Place drove in Stoller, Bates scored on a walk, Rupert drove in Place, Quinton Craig and Rupert scored on an error, Halker scored on a passed ball, Pratt drove in Stoller, Bates singled and scored Levi Eddins, then Pratt scored on an error to finish the scoring.

Pratt finished with four hits and four RBIs, Stoller had four hits and three RBIs and Rupert tallied four hits and two RBIs. Witten and Bates each drove in three runs and Witten picked up the win on the mound.

Van Wert (5-1) will host Parkway today.

Crestview 5 Fort Recovery 4

FORT RECOVERY — Ayden Lichtensteiger’s two-out RBI single in the fifth proved to be the difference in Crestview’s 5-4 victory at Fort Recovery on Saturday.

The hit scored Logan Gerardot, who had walked, stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Gerardot also scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, when Parker Spieth scored on a sacrifice fly by Lichtensteiger. Fort Recovery scored a run in the bottom of the first, then Lichtensteiger drove in Spieth for a 3-1 lead in the third. Carson Hunter scored in the fourth, but the Indians tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Lichtensteiger had two of Crestview’s five hits and three RBIs.

Hunter and Spieth split pitching duties and each one struck out four batters.

Crestview (2-0) is scheduled to play at Parkway on Tuesday.

Softball

Crestview 16 New Bremen 6
Crestview 10 Shawnee 6

CONVOY — Crestview’s offense was on full display during Saturday’s quad in Convoy.

The Lady Knights rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat New Bremen 16-6. A five-run third inning put Crestview ahead for good. With the bases loaded and two outs, Raegan Hammons scored on a wild pitch, then Breena Grace singled and drove in Mandy Macki and Bailey Gregory for a 7-4 lead. Kali Small and Grace then scored on passed balls for a 9-4 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Raegan Hammons singled in Laci McCoy then scored on an error and Macki scored on a passed ball. Crestview’s final four runs came in the sixth – Katelyn Castle doubled and scored Gregory and Lexi Dull then scored on an error and McCoy doubled home Lexi Parrish.

On the mound, Small struck out 10 and walked just two.

Hammons had three RBIs, including two in the first inning and scored a pair of runs to boost Crestview to a 10-6 win against Shawnee.

Hammons, Gregory and Olivia Heckler each had two hits in the game and Crestview led 2-1 after the first inning, 4-1 after the second and 6-1 after three.

Each team had six errors in the game and Heckler went the distance on the mound with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Crestview (4-2) will host Kenton today.

Bryan 12 Van Wert 2
Bryan 9 Van Wert 7

BRYAN — Bryan swept Van Wert 12-2 and 9-7 in doubleheader action on Satuday.

In the first game, Bryan led 2-0 after the first inning, 8-0 after two and 11-0 after three innings.

Van Wert scored both runs in the fifth, when Emilee Phillips singled and drove in Brenna Bollenbacher, then Phillips scored on an error.

In the second game, Van Wert held a 7-3 lead entering the bottom of the fifth inning, but Bryan scored a pair of runs then added four more in the sixth to cap off a 9-7 victory on Saturday.

The Golden Bears led 3-1 after one inning, with Van Wert’s run coming on Lorynn German’s RBI single that plated Kiara Saam.

Carlee Young doubled home Abbi Middaugh in the second, then after a scoreless third, Young doubled in Marbaugh and Adeline Collins to give Van Wert a 4-3 lead. Back-to-back singles by Saam and German scored Young and Phillips for a 7-3 lead.

Young finished with two hits and three RBIs, while Germann had two hits and a pair of RBIs. Marissa Mottinger pitched 5.1 innings and allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Van Wert (1-3) is scheduled to host Bath on Tuesday.

Tennis

Bryan 4 Van Wert 1

Van Wert’s first doubles team of Micah Rager and Kaden Thomas posted a 6-4, 6-2 win in Saturday’s season opener, but the Cougars fell to Bryan 4-1.

At first singles, Bryan’s Jay Fortner defeated Jace Fast 6-1, 6-1, while teammate Carter Brown recorded a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Van Wert’s Sam Moonshower. Caleb McCashen topped Bryce Miller 6-1, 6-1.

Bryan’s second doubles team of Aiden Andrews and Micah McCashen defeated Ian Cowen and Evan Knittle 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-0.

Van Wert (0-1) is scheduled to host Bath on Tuesday.