Roundup: VW wins on Witten’s walk-off

Van Wert independent sports

Van Wert and Lincolnview posted baseball wins on Monday, while Crestview and Lincolnview softball teams were victorious as well. Below is a recap of Monday’s action.

Baseball

Van Wert 9 Wayne Trace 8

For the second straight game, Turner Witten’s walk-off single propelled Van Wert to victory as the Cougars rallied past Wayne Trace 9-8 at Smiley Park on Monday.

On a full count, the first baseman singled to center field and scored Owen Treece, who had walked to start the final inning.

Right fielder Luke Wessell also had a big game for Van Wert by going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, including a single in the third that plated Witten and Aidan Pratt.

Five of Wayne Trace’s runs came in the third inning and the Cougars trailed 6-1 entering the bottom of the third, then tied the game 7-7 in the fifth.

Ethan Rupert picked up the win in relief by allowing a run on three hits in 2.2 innings.

Both teams are scheduled to play today, with Van Wert (12-3) slated to host St. Marys Memorial and Wayne Trace (8-4) set to travel to Fairview.

Lincolnview 12 Columbus Grove 0 (six innings)

COLUMBUS GROVE — Landon Price had a banner day for Lincolnview on Monday, going 5-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored, while striking out 12 and giving up just two hits in five innings in a 12-0 victory over Columbus Grove.

After two scoreless innings, Collin Overholt singled and drove in Price in the third, then Carson Fox belted a triple to score Overholt and Dane Ebel for a 3-0 lead.

Price scored again in the fourth, then the Lancers (9-4, 3-0 NWC) exploded for eight runs in the sixth, including a two-RBI single by Fox that plated Overholt and Ebel, then four consecutive singles by Clayton Leeth, Jack Dunlap, Adam Berryman and Price that scored Fox, Leeth and Dunlap.

Fox finished with two hits and four RBIs and Ebel had a pair of hits and two RBIs.

Lincolnview is scheduled to host Bluffton on Thursday.

Allen East 2 Crestview 0

HARROD — In a pitchers duel, Allen East’s Jordan Matter fanned 15 batters and allowed just one hit, a single in the seventh inning by Nick Helt, and the Mustangs defeated Crestview 2-0 on Monday. Matter’s performance offset one by Crestview’s Trever Sheets, who struck out 10 batters and gave up just three hits.

The Mustangs (12-3, 3-0 NWC) scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and on an error in the fifth, one of five Crestview errors in the game.

The Knights (6-5, 1-3 NWC) are scheduled to play at Minster on Wednesday.

Softball

Lincolnview 12 Columbus Grove 2 (five innings)

COLUMBUS GROVE — 10 runs in the first inning proved to be more than enough for Lincolnview as the Lady Lancers defeated Columbus Grove 12-2 on Monday.

Leading 3-0, Hanna Young singled and drove in Zadria King and Addysen Stevens then three batters later, Kendall Bollenbacher doubled and scored Young and Andi Webb. The next batter, Taylor Post, belted a home run to center field that plated Annie Mendenhall and Bollenbacher to make it 10-0.

Stevens scored on an error in the second and Destiny Coil crossed home plate on an error in the third.

Columbus Grove’s runs came in the bottom of the third.
Post had a pair of hits and three RBIs, while Bollenbacher had two hits and two RBIs. Post went the distance on the mound and allowed just four hits while striking out six.

Lincolnview (10-2, 3-0 NWC) is scheduled to travel to Minster today.

Crestview 12 Allen East 1 (five innings)

HARROD — Crestview scored four runs in the second inning and five more in the fourth on the way to a 12-1 win over Allen East on Monday.

Kali Small, Katelyn Castle, Olivia Cunningham and Olivia Hecker combined for eight of Crestview’s 14 hits, and Heckler and Laci McCoy scored on back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning.

Breena Grace doubled and scored Mandy Macki and Small in the second, as Crestview built a 5-0 lead.

Post earned a complete game win on the mound by holding Allen East to just three hits.

Crestview (12-4, 4-0 NWC) is scheduled to host Wayne Trace on Wednesday.

Antwerp 7 Van Wert 3

Van Wert fell behind 5-0 and couldn’t catch up in a 7-3 non-conference loss to Antwerp at Jubilee Park on Monday.

Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Emilee Phillips put the Lady Cougars on the board by scoring on a Carlee Young grounder. Kiara Samm scored on an error in the fifth and after Antwerp scored on a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, Phillips hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Phillips had two of Van Wert’s five hits, while Antwerp’s Emerson Litzenberg had three hits and two RBIs.

Van Wert (2-6) is scheduled to play at St. Marys Memorial today.