By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
FORT JENNINGS (May 29, 2026) — Van Wert did the things a baseball team has to do if they want to have a deep tournament run.
The Cougars scored five of their six runs with two outs and played errorless baseball in a 6-4 win over Bryan in a Division IV District championship game at Fort Jennings.
Bryan took a 1-0 second-inning lead against Cougar starter Easton Putman but could have had more.
Hunter Watson was hit by a pitch with one out, then Bryce Welling followed with a single to left to place runners at first and second.
Watson was shot down trying to steal third, a play that was costly to the Golden Bears when Jacob Uran singled to chase Welling home from first for the game’s initial run.
The Cougars loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning on an Alex Benner single and two walks.
Cam Bukowski was on the verge of getting out of the inning when he went 0-2 on Griffin McCracken but after the Cougars’ leadoff hitter worked the count back to 3-2, he knocked a single up the middle that plated a pair of runs to give Van Wert the lead.
Bryan could’ve escaped with a one-run deficit, but Finley Dickinson’s ground ball was misplayed for an error that added two more runs.
The Van Wert margin grew to 5-1 the next inning when Camdyn Werts hammered a one-out homer over the center field fence.
Bryan battled back in the fourth to close within a run, also getting a big two-out hit. With one down, Bukowski was plunked by a pitch and Watson doubled to deep center to put the Golden Bears at second and third.
Welling’s ground ball scored one run, then Jacob Uran rammed a two-out homer over the right field fence to close the gap to 5-4.
Van Wert got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, again with two down on Putman’s RBI single.
Neither team seriously threatened after that. Putman walked a pair with one down in the fifth but retired the next two hitters, and threw the final three innings without giving up a hit.
Bukowski shut out Van Wert the rest of the way, but Bryan could edge no closer. Van Wert advances to the regional tournament this week with a 15-12 record. Bryan finishes with a 16-12 mark.
BHS 010 300 0 – 4 6 2
VWHS 041 100 x – 6 7 1
WP- Easton Putman (IP-7, R-4, H-6, K-4, BB-2)
LP- Cam Bukowski (IP-6, R-6, H-7, K-5, BB-3)
LEADING HITTERS: (Van Wert) Camdyn Werts — home run; Griffin McCracken — 2 singles, 2 RBIs; (Bryan) Jacob Uran — single, home run, 2 RBIs; Hunter Watson — double.