Van-Far’s baseball season ended with a first-round district exit but with plenty of reasons to be proud.

The Indians lost 11-8 to Paris on Friday in the Class 2 District 5 tournament at Clarksville in Clopton. However, Van-Far (12-10) had already won 12 games to set a new single-season school record and to record its first winning season since finishing 10-7 in the 2018. Paris (5-12), meanwhile, earned its first district win in six years.

Van-Far took a 5-4 lead after a four-run bottom of the fourth inning. Reece Culwell and Gaven Gaston started the inning with back-to-back doubles and Malik Douglas eventually hit a two-RBI double. 

Paris responded with a seven-run fifth inning. The first three Coyotes reached via errors to tie the game at and then Payden Crain, Scotty McGee, Kaden Lehenbauer and Michael Rosson had a string of RBI hits to make it 10-5. Luke Ensor added a RBI single later in the inning. 

Gibson Condie had a RBI groundout, and Easton Sharp drove in Tyson Douglas with a single in the seventh inning. 

Culwell went 2-for-4 with two runs and a double in his last game, Malik Douglas had two RBIs, two stolen bases and a double in his final game, Carson Huff had a RBI in his final game, and Garrett Hopke finished 2-for-4. Culwell pitched six innings with seven hits, seven strikeouts and two walks to go with all of his runs being unearned. 

Ledenbauer led Paris by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles, Ensor went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Crain finished 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, Rosson had two RBI and seven of nine Coyote hitters had at least one RBI. Ensor pitched six innings with six hits, six runs (five earned) four walks and three strikeouts.