BACK TO THE BAG … Evergreen’s Blake Boucher dives back to third base while Swanton’s Carsen Lemons goes to apply the tag.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
THROWING FOR THE OUT … Swanton starting pitcher Luke Marlow throws to second base during the Bulldogs NWOAL contest at Evergreen.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (April 17, 2025) – Not that long ago, Evergreen committed six errors that led to six unearned runs in a 7-3 loss to Swanton. This time in the league contest, the Vikings still gave up unearned runs…or should we say run.
Layne Vance scattered four hits and allowed just a single run which was unearned in a 7-1 Viking victory.
The loss was the first for the Bulldogs this season after eight wins. Evergreen is 2-0 in league and 5-4 overall, those four losses to teams that are 23-3 for the season.
“We made some mistakes the first time we played them, a lot of them,” Viking coach Chris Owens said.
“We knew we could play better than that. We put a lot of work in during the week here after Monday’s win (at Wauseon) to get our fundamentals back and it showed tonight, the hard work pays off.”
“It’s great to be 2-0 in the league right now. Our tough schedule early helps gets us ready for it, I mean the NWOAL is one of the best leagues in the state regardless of class.”
“There are a lot of good teams, and first goal is always to win the league, and to do that you have to bring your very best every day.”
The Vikings got to Bulldog starter Luke Marlow for a pair of runs in the second. Vance lined the first of his three hits to left to start the inning, then stole second.
Colton Robertson’s hard single to left scored Vance and after Blake Boucher followed with a base hit to center, a balk put across the second run in the frame.
The Bulldogs got their run in the third. Marlow lined a one-out single that Robertson nearly made a sliding catch on in center, stole second and third, and romped home on a throwing error to cut the Viking margin in half.
However, Evergreen opened a gap in the bottom of the inning, in part to some shoddy Bulldog defense. A one out error, Chris Shrader’s hard single and a Vance infield single loaded the sacks.
Austin Burghardt then rapped a two-strike double down the right field line and when the ball eluded the right fielder, Vance scored from first for a 5-1 lead.
Boucher then knocked another run home with his second base hit of the night to center field. Vance had his final hit in the fifth, an RBI single to make it 7-1.
The first three hitters in the Viking lineup went 1-10 on the night and Owens was extremely pleased with the swings the rest of the order had in the contest.
“They all are starting to have a plan at the plate. We aren’t chasing the breaking pitches away now being more disciplined. The biggest thing is now we aren’t getting cheated. It’s good to see out a very young team.”
Meanwhile the Bulldogs didn’t get more than one man on base at a time the last five innings until the seventh when Evan Smigelski’s single and a pair of walks loaded the bases.
Vance left in favor of Robertson who recorded the final two outs, including a game ending called strike three.
Vance went 6 1/3 innings striking out four and walking four to go to 3-0 on the season.
SHS 001 000 0 – 1 4 5
EHS 024 010 x – 7 9 1
Records: SHS 8-1, 1-1 NWOAL; EHS 2-0, 5-4 NWOAL
WINNING PITCHER: Vance (6.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 earned, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts) Other: Robertson
LOSING PITCHER: Marlow (5 innings, 8 hits, 7 runs, 2 earned, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts) Other: Reinhard
LEADING HITTERS: (Evergreen) Vance – 3 singles, RBI; Burghardt – double, 3 RBIs; Boucher – 2 singles, RBI; Manz – 2 singles; (Swanton) Lemons – 2 singles