PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SEVEN STRONG … Wauseon’s Cam Sherman dominated on the hill with seven strikeouts and surrendered just two hits in seven innings as Wauseon surprised Swanton, 1-0. VIEW 106 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
FOUL TERRITORY … Swanton catcher Drew LaPoint chases a popup in foul territory.
By: Mario Gomez
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WAUSEON (April 30, 2026) — If you were looking to watch a game where runs were scored in abundance, this was not the game for you.
If you wanted to see a pitchers’ duel where the outcome was decided at the end, this was your kind of game and it did not disappoint.
Wauseon’s Cam Sherman outdueled Swanton’s Luke Marlow on the mound and freshman Lane Wallischeck came up clutch with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning that scored the eventual winning run for the Indians in a 1-0 win in a pivotal Northwest Ohio Athletic League contest.
The win puts the Indians’ record at 4-6 but holds a 3-2 NWOAL record which puts them in a tie with Swanton at 3-2 and 11-4 overall.
Patrick Henry and Evergreen lead the pack with identical 4-1 league records. “This league is ridiculously tough,” said Wauseon head coach Dylan Leu.
“There is no game in the league that is a lay-up. We just put ourselves back in the hunt with this win.”
Sherman got the Indians off to a good start when he set the Bulldog’s first three batters down in order in the first inning.
Marlow started off just as good, getting the first two outs on a strikeout and a fly out. Maddox Schneider hit a shot to left field for a hit.
Ike Conrad followed with a ground ball to the pitcher but his throw to first was wide and Schneider and Conrad advanced an extra base to put runners on second and third. Kahle Albright flew out to the second baseman to end the Wauseon threat.
With one out in Swanton’s half of the second, Evan Reinhard walked but was stranded after Sherman got a strike out and got Drew LaPoint to foul out to get out of the inning.
Wauseon had another two-out threat in the bottom of the third after Schneider legged out an infield hit and then got to second after a failed pickoff attempt.
Conrad grounded out to second base to shut down the scoring opportunity to keep the game scoreless.
The Bulldogs got their first hit of the game in the fourth after Carsen Lemons doubled with one out but Carson Bond struck out and Reinhard fouled out to end Swanton’s first real scoring chance.
The game was a pitchers’ duel and remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Marlow got Schneider to strike out for the first out of the inning.
Conrad followed with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Brody Balser. After Albright flew out to left field, Balser stole second to get into scoring position and setting the table for Wallischeck.
The freshman shortstop fell behind in the count and stepped out of the batter’s box to gain some composure.
On the next pitch, Wallischeck lined a single to right field that scored Balser from second base for a 1-0 lead.
“He took two strikes and looked defeated but kept his approach and punched one to right,” said Leu. To stand up there in this league game and deliver the only RBI of the game, let alone the winning one takes ice in your veins and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Marlow got the final out on a strike out but the Indians had the lead going into the final at bats for Swanton.
The momentum was clearly in the Indians’ favor. Sherman sat the first two hitters in the seventh inning down on called third strikes and got Wyatt Griffin to fly out to right to end the game. “Cam came up big today,” said Leu.
“The biggest thing we did today was play defense. “The top of (Swanton’s) order is really good and experienced. Our big three keys were pitching, defense and timely hitting,” said Swanton head coach Josh Siewert.
“They had the timely hit and we didn’t. I think we took a lot of strikes that we shouldn’t have. We hit about three or four balls on the nose but hit it right at them. “That’s baseball.”
SHS 000 000 0 — 0 2 1
WHS 000 001 x — 1 6 1
WP- Cam Sherman (IP-7, H-2, R-0, BB-1, K-7)
LP- Luke Marlow (IP-6, H-6, R-1, BB-0, K-6)
LEADING HITTERS: (Wauseon) Maddox Schneider — 2 singles; Ike Conrad — 2 singles; (Swanton) Carsen Lemons — double.
