COLDWATER – It’s been a very long time since Van Wert has played in the ACME state baseball tournament.
It was 1988 when Van Wert made its last appearance at the state tournament and 1968 since the state championship trophy was brought back to Van Wert.
Van Wert’s waiting finally came to an end in Monday’s ACME state championship game against Coldwater at Veteran’s Field.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, with the score tied at 3, Van Wert’s Ryan Stoller delivered a two-out single to drive in Mason Carr for the winning run, giving Van Wert the dramatic 4-3 victory.
“We finally got that big hit,” Van Wert coach Todd Dunlap said. “We battled for eight innings, and both teams had some chances. But, when you believe in yourself, like these guys do, I knew it could happen. That last inning, I knew it was going to happen.
“This was the first time we had been behind (in the tournament). They’re a resilient bunch of kids. They believe in themselves and they believe in each other. And that’s what it takes.”
After both teams started out scoring three runs each by the end of the second inning, defense and pitching took over.
For the game, Coldwater pounded 12 base hits, but left a total of 13 base runners stranded. Van Wert managed to record nine hits, but left seven base runners stranded.
Coldwater used a total of four pitchers, while Van Wert sent three different pitchers to the mound.
Dylan Thobe got the starting nod for Coldwater, who was vying for its ninth ACME state title.
Thobe worked just 2/3 of an inning before being lifted. Jack Hemmelgarn came in to pitch in the first inning for Coldwater.
Thobe was tabbed for one run on two hits. Hemmelgarn worked up to the ninth inning. Aaron Harlamert took over the pitching duties in the ninth for Coldwater. In the 12th, Kyle McKibben came in to close it out.
For Van Wert, Caleb Fetzer started on the mound. The junior right-hander pitched eight innings before giving way to Stoller in the ninth.
Fetzer gave up three runs on nine hits, while striking out eight and walking two. He threw 113 pitches.
Stoller worked three innings, before handing over the pitching duties to Josh Braun in the final frame.
Stoller, who was named the tournament MVP, said Monday’s game was surreal.
“It was just a fun thing to be a part of it, with the emotions; it was like a roller-coaster,” Stoller said. “With Caleb Fetzer, Josh Braun and I doing it all together – it wasn’t a single performance, it was all three of us pitching together against a really, really good Coldwater team.”
Braun and Mason Carr each had two hits for Van Wert.
For Coldwater, McKibben led the way with four hits and an RBI. Chris Post had three hits, while Kraig Schoenherr and Hemmelgarn each had two hits for Coldwater.
“This one was a tough one to lose, and unfortunately it was us,” Coldwater coach Tom Brunswick said. “They came up with the big clutch hit. We had our opportunities, but left some guys on. We did get 12 hits, but we just didn’t get enough key hits tonight.”
Added Dunlap, “It’s a blur. …It started out with both teams kind of rocky, with the nerves going a little bit. And after the first two innings, we just threw zeros up. The defense was pretty good. …But the kids stayed the course.”
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Van Wert vs Coldwater in the ACME Championship game at Coldwater on July 20, 2015
photo by DENNIS SAAM for The Lima News
