Litchfield Panthers Baseball Graphic

Litchfield Rallies Late to Secure 8-5 Victory Over Vandalia

May 8, 2026/Newspaper Staff/

The Litchfield varsity baseball team used a decisive three-run surge in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away from Vandalia, securing a hard-fought 8-5 home victory in non-conference action on Thursday.

Litchfield established control early, jumping out to a 3-0 advantage after plating two runs in the first inning and adding another in the second. The early offensive strike included a home run off Vandalia starting pitcher Jack Lewis, who exited the game after 1.1 innings of work.

Despite the early deficit, Vandalia (25-26) showed resilience and battled back to take the lead. The visitors erupted for three runs in the top of the third inning to tie the game, utilizing aggressive baserunning that saw them steal four bases on the day—including two by Q. Stombaugh. Vandalia continued its momentum into the fourth, scoring two more runs to capture a 5-3 lead. Andrew Casey paced the Vandalia offense, finishing with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, while Kohnor Depew contributed a double and a team-high two RBIs. Jack Lewis also added a pair of hits and an RBI to aid the comeback effort.

Trailing for the first time, Litchfield methodically chipped away at the deficit. They answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and pushed across another in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. The Litchfield lineup consistently found ways to put the ball in play against Vandalia reliever Chase Cearlock, who threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out four.

In the bottom of the sixth, Litchfield broke the deadlock. Stringing together timely hits, the home team plated three runs to take an 8-5 lead. Litchfield’s defense, which played a clean game with zero errors compared to Vandalia’s one, held firm in the final frame to close out the win. Vandalia ultimately out-hit Litchfield 11-10 but was hindered by eight runners left on base.

Game Summary

Score by Innings

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Vandalia 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 5 11 1
Litchfield 2 1 0 1 1 3 – 8 10 0

Scoring Drives

  • 1st Inning: Litchfield opens the scoring with two runs.

  • 2nd Inning: Litchfield extends its lead with one run.

  • 3rd Inning: Vandalia rallies to tie the game with a three-run inning.

  • 4th Inning: Vandalia takes a 5-3 lead with two runs; Litchfield answers with one run in the bottom half.

  • 5th Inning: Litchfield plates one run to tie the game at 5-5.

  • 6th Inning: Litchfield breaks the tie with a decisive three-run push.

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