Van Wert too much for Crestview

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — Van Wert dominated Wednesday’s non-conference baseball game against county rival Crestview in just about every way imaginable.

Led by Lawson Blackmore, who had three hits and five RBIs, the Cougars piled up 17 hits, while Hayden Maples held the Knights to just three hits and struck out eight in a five inning, 18-2 victory.

“Crestview is very well coached, they’re disciplined, very fundamentally sound and always a good program, so it was a good win for us tonight,” Van Wert head coach Charlie Witten said.

“Van Wert has a outstanding veteran club that overwhelmed us tonight,” Crestview head coach Jim Wharton said. “They executed all phases at a very high level tonight.”

Already leading 6-2, Van Wert (15-2) scored nine runs in the fourth inning. Blackmore tripled in Nathan Temple before scoring on an RBI single by Parker Conrad. TJ Reynolds walked, then was tripled home by Keaton Brown to increase the lead to 10-2, and Brown scored on a sacrifice fly by Jalen McCracken.

Four batters later, with the bases loaded, Jaxson Amweg scored when Temple was hit by a pitch, then a two out, two-RBI single by Blackmore drove in Jake Lautzenheiser and Hayden Maples.

“He’s obviously one of the leaders on our team, so when you get guys like him rolling it’s pretty good to see,” Witten said of Blackmore. “Everyone had good at-bats tonight and out of the 15 outs tonight, four were sacrifice flies or sacrifice bunts. We had good at-bats all the way through.”

The final run of the inning came when Temple scored on a bases loaded walk.

Van Wert scored three more runs in the fifth inning – Amweg scored on a bases loaded walk, then a sacrifice fly by Blackmore plated Taylor Zeeff, and Owen Treece’s RBI single scored Maples.

Maples drove in Lautzenheiser and Blackmore singled in Maples for a 2-0 first inning lead, then Brown and scored on a sacrifice fly and Temple singled in Amweg for a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the second.

Crestview (6-8) got on the board in the bottom half of the inning when Griffin Painter crossed home plate on a fielder’s choice by Brody Brecht.

The Cougars answered with a two runs in the top of the third – Conrad scored on grounder by McCracken and Amweg tripled in Brown for a 6-1 lead. Crestview’s final run came in the bottom of the inning, when a double by Brant Richardson allowed Riley Saylor to score from second base.

In addition to Blackmore, Temple and Brown had three hits apiece. Temple drove in three runs, and Brown and McCracken each had two RBIs.

Richardson, Painter and Kole Small had Crestview’s three hits.

“He (Maples) threw strikes for the most part tonight and our defense played well to support Hayden,” Witten said. “We’re playing real well right now and we just want to steadily improve during the rest of the season.”

“Our kids need to have a short memory, turn the page as we play Lincolnview tomorrow (Thursday) in an important Northwest Conference game,” Wharton said.

Van Wert will host Elida on Friday.

Crestview 011 00 – 2
Van Wert 222 93 – 18

Crestview (ab-r-h-rbi): Riley Saylor 1-1-0-0; Kaden Short 2-0-0-0; Brant Richardson 2-0-1-1; Korbin Hartman 2-0-0-0; Griffin Painter 2-1-1-0; Kole Small 1-0-1-0; Brock Stauffer 1-0-0-0; Brody Brecht 2-0-0-1; Logan Gerardot 2-0-0-0; Riley Wilson 2-0-0-0

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-so-bb): Trever Sheets 1.2, 5-4-4-0-2; Kaden Short 2.0, 8-10-7-2-2; Riley Wilson 0.2, 3-4-4-0-4; Logan Gerardot 0.2, 1-0-0-0-0

Van Wert (ab-r-h-rbi): Jaxson Amweg 4-3-1-1; Jake Lautzenheiser 2-2-1-1; Taylor Zeeff 0-1-0-0; Hayden Maples 3-3-2-1; Nathan Temple 3-2-3-3; Lawson Blackmore 4-1-3-5; Parker Conrad 3-2-2-1; Owen Treece 1-0-1-0; TJ Reynolds 1-1-0-0; Mason McHugh 1-0-0-1; Keaton Brown 4-3-3-2; Jalen McCracken 2-0-1-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-so-bb): Hayden Maples 5.0, 3-2-1-8-2