VW Cougars beat Bath, eye WBL title

Van Wert independent sports

LIMA — Van Wert took another step toward a possible Western Buckeye League baseball championship with an 8-1 win at Bath on Wednesday.

Owen Treece held the Wildcats to just four hits, while striking out six and walking one.

Jaxson Amweg broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with an RBI single that plated Keaton Brown. Brown later stole home to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.

Bath’s only run came in the bottom of the third, then after a scoreless fourth inning, Van Wert struck for four runs in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Jake Lautzenheiser singled in Brown, then Jalen McCracken scored on a fielder’s choice. A single by Nathan Temple drove in Amweg, then Hayden Maples scored on a single by Lawson Blackmore, increasing the lead to 6-1.

Van Wert’s final two runs came in the seventh inning, when Parker Conrad doubled in Blackmore and TJ Reynolds drove in Treece.

The Cougars (17-2, 7-1 WBL) are scheduled to host Elida today. A win would guarantee at least a share of the league championship. Bath (7-10, 3-4 WBL) will host Defiance on Friday. A Defiance win would force a co-championship, while a Bath upset would give Van Wert an outright title.