Van Wert, L’view to meet again tonight

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — It can be considered an oddity or perhaps at least a bit unusual. ACME West Sectional tournament manager Jim Wharton called it “the luck of a blind draw.”

Van Wert (14-2) and Lincolnview (19-5) will meet for a fourth time during the summer baseball season, but this time with very high stakes. The winner of tonight’s 6 p.m. sectional game at the Crestview Sports Complex will advance to district competition at Elida, while the loser’s season will come to a close.

Entering the sectionals, the Cougars had just one loss (to Lincolnview) while the Lancers were the hottest team with eight straight wins. But each team stumbled in sectional play, setting up tonight’s must win showdown.

Here is a brief recap of Van Wert’s and Lincolnview’s previous three ACME matchups:

Van Wert 4 Lincolnview 0

During this June 9 regular season match up at Russell Fisher Field, Van Wert’s Lawson Blackmore tossed a one-hitter and struck out 13 on the way to a 4-0 win. All four Cougar runs came in the fourth inning – RBI singles by Blackmore and Jalen McCracken, and a two-RBI single by Hayden Maples.

Braxton Fox accounted for Lincolnview’s only hit of the game.

Lincolnview 8 Van Wert 3

In this June 21 regular season rematch at Lincolnview, Van Wert jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning. Jake Lautzenheiser and Jonathon Lee opened the game by reaching first on back-to-back errors, then three straight walks allowed the pair to score. Later in the inning, Lawson Blackmore raced home on a wild pitch.

The Lancers finally got on the board in the fourth inning, when a single by Chayten Overholt drove in Ethan Kemler.

The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning. That’s when Brayden Evans walked, then Gavin Carter and Jaden Youtsey singled, with Youtsey’s hit driving in Evans. Kemler’s RBI single scored Carter, then Reece Farmer doubled and drove in Youtsey and Kemler. Farmer went on to score on a single by Ethan Parsons, but the Lancers weren’t done. Sam Myers walked and Parsons scored on an error that allowed Thad Walker to reach first. Overholt then ripped a single that allowed Myers to touch home plate for the final margin of 8-3.

Lincolnview 2 Van Wert 1

Lincolnview opened sectional play July 1 with a 7-0 victory over Delphos Jefferson, then hours later edged the Cougars 2-1.

Chayten Overholt opened the game with a single, then later scored after three consecutive walks. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when Gavin Carter walked, then eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Van Wert had two runners aboard in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings, but didn’t score until Jake Lautzenheiser’s final inning single drove in Tristen Wehner.

Lincolnview advanced to play Crestview the following day, but the Lancers were upset by Crestview 9-7. Van Wert dropped to the losers bracket, where the Cougars defeated St. Marys Memorial 11-6 on Sunday and Delphos Jefferson 5-1 on Monday, setting up tonight’s rematch.