Cougar ACME team in state semis

VW independent sports

COLDWATER — Van Wert is one win away from playing for the 2024 ACME state baseball championship.

The Cougars were scheduled to face Indian Lake in the state semifinals Sunday afternoon but the game was rained out and rescheduled for 5 p.m. today at Veterans Field at Coldwater Memorial Park. The Cougars (15-5) have gone 9-1 in the last 10 games. Indian Lake is 13-1 and has won six straight games.

Should Van Wert win today, the Cougars will then face Defiance or Minster in the championship game at 7 p.m. tonight. The Bulldogs were leading the first semifinal game 2-0 when it was halted by rain in the fourth inning on Sunday. That game will resume at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

To get to the semifinals, Van Wert’s Briston Wise pitched a complete game no-hitter and the Cougars defeated host Coldwater 6-1 Saturday night. Wise, who has an ERA of 1.27 this season, struck out eight batters and walked seven.

Van Wert’s first run came in the bottom of the second. After Cam Werts opened the inning with a single, Donovan Winkeljohn reached first on an error, then successive walks by Trever Halker and Griff McCracken scored Werts. In the bottom of the third, Van Wert quickly loaded the bases with walks by Hayden Dowler and Case Stegeman, and a Coldwater error that allowed Wise to get to first. Werts then walked with the bases loaded, scoring Dowler, then with one out, Stegeman scored on a sac fly by Halker, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead.

Van Wert’s three remaining runs came in the fourth inning. Dowler’s triple plated Nate Gearhart and Hayden Davis, upping the lead to 5-0. A one-out single by Wise allowed Dowler to score.

Coldwater’s lone run came in the top of the sixth, when Kaden Homan scored on a grounder by Baylen Blockenberger. 

Davis led the Cougars at the plate by going 2-of-4, while Davis had a team high two RBIs. Coldwater starting pitcher Mason Welsch gave six runs (three earned) on four hits and six walks while striking out a pair of Van Wert batters. Aaron Kaup pitched the remaining four innings and allowed just one hit while fanning four and walking three.