By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WAUSEON (May 17, 2025) – The Wauseon Indians picked up a non-league win against the Paulding Panthers in a back and forth contest.
The first half of the game saw both pitchers on display, with both limiting their opponents, but the back half saw the offense come alive.
The Panthers had a scoring opportunity in the first, with two runners on, who both reached base due to errors, but Stroker Etter ended up grounding out and leaving the runners stranded.
The Indians had a three up and three down first inning, with Paulding’s Greyson Harder picking up a strikeout in the inning.
The Panthers’ second inning wasn’t much better, as he only player to reach base was Carter Evans, when he was walked.
The Indians entered the scoring column in the second, due to a number of errors from the Panthers’ defense.
Max Russell first reached base on an error from Paulding’s second baseman. Russell then advanced to second on a groundout from Kahle Albright, followed by an RBI hit from Maddox Schneider where he reached base due to an error, plating Russell.
We saw more of the same from the Panther’s offense in the third, with Kane Jones being the only batter to reach base due to an error from Wauseon’s shortstop.
The third saw the Indians extend their lead and give themselves a comfortable cushion. With a one out single from Thad Reckner and Braylon Miller, Wauseon had two runners on with an opportunity to capitalize.
They did just that, as Russell drilled a two-run RBI double to right, plating both Reckner and Miller. Albright followed with an RBI triple, bringing in Russell.
Schneider plated the final run of the inning with an RBI single, giving the Indians a 5-0 lead through three.
The Panther’s hitting woes continued into the fourth, as they struggled to generate any offense against Wauseon’s Jack Altstaetter.
The Indians looked to continue building on their lead, as Caleb Kissel and Reckner both reached base with only one out in the inning.
A strikeout and groundout left those runners stranding to end the inning, but the Indians looked comfortable with the lead they built going into the fifth.
That comfortability didn’t stay long, as the Panthers’ bats came alive in the fifth, all with two outs on the scoreboard.
The two out rally started with a single from Jones, followed by an RBI triple from Grady Arend, giving the Panthers’ their first run of the game.
Colten Hunt followed with an RBI single to left, plating Arend. Three straight singles from Harder, Etter, and Nick Baughman gave the Panthers another three runs, evening the game at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The Indians quickly reclaimed their lead in the bottom half of the inning, as Schneider hit another RBI single to give Wauseon the lead.
A sacrifice fly from Lane Schindler gave the Indians another run, helping establish that cushion they had just a few innings before.
The final two innings only saw one Paulding batter reach base, when Hunt was walked, giving the Indians the 7-5 five win.
PHS 000 050 0 – 5 6 6
WHS 014 020 x – 7 7 3
Records: PHS 8-14, WHS 9-12
WINNING PITCHER: Harder (6 innings, 7 hits, 7 runs, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Altstaetter (4.2 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Paulding) Jones – 2 singles, RBI; Arend – triple, RBI; Etter – single, 2 RBIs; Hunt – 2 singles, RBI; (Wauseon) Albright – triple, RBI, 2 runs; Russel – double, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Reckner – 2 singles