Van Wert’s season comes to an end

VW independent sports

FORT JENNINGS — No. 4 seed Van Wert came up just short, falling 5-4 to No. 3 seed Upper Sandusky in the Division IV district semifinals at Fort Jennings on Wednesday.

The loss ends Van Wert’s baseball season with a record of 14-8.

Things looked good early for Van Wert. After spotting the Rams a 1-0 lead, Briston Wise smacked a two-run homer to right field in the second inning. The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Upper Sandusky enjoyed back-to-back RBI hits and took a 3-2 lead. The Rams scored again on a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but the Cougars pulled to within one, 4-3, when Cam Werts doubled in Wise in the top of the sixth. However, a Van Wert error in the bottom of the sixth gave the Rams a two-run cushion 5-3. The Cougars opened the seventh inning with a single by Griffin McCracken and a double by Hayden Davis. McCracken later scored on a sacrifice fly by Hayden Dowler, but Van Wert was unable to plate another run.

McCracken, Wise and Finley Dickinson each had two hits for Van Wert. Wise went the distance on the mound and allowed just five hits and five runs (three earned) with eight strikeouts and six walks.