Sports

sports@vanzandtnews.com The Van Vandal baseball program turned their attention away from the diamond prior to their game against Athens April 11, recognizing educators that have made a difference in their lives by celebrating Teacher Appreciation Night.

The Edgewood Lady Dogs hit a roadblock in District 12- 3A play last week, falling victim to a late Paris Chisum surge would be competitive throughout much of the opening innings as Edgewood and Paris Chisum each enjoyed a two-run inning to keep the score tied heading into the fifth.

sports@vanzandtnews.com The Grand Saline Indians crossed paths with a longtime foe this week, playing host to the Emory Rains Wildcats in a key District 12-3A showdown. Emory Rains would do just enough to eke their way past Grand Saline in the contest, pushing across a pair of unearned runs in a 2-0 win over the host Indians.

The Van Vandals continued their march through District 16-4A play last week, closing out their season series against Chapel Hill April 1 before crossing paths with Cumberland Academy three nights later. Van prevails in both matchups, pushing their overall season mark to 19-5-1 with postseason play looming just over the horizon.

sports@vanzandtnews.com The Grand Saline Lady Indians continued their playoff push last week, clashing with Commerce and Emory Rains in District 12-3A play. Grand Saline made it look easy against Commerce March 31, getting five shutout innings from Hannah Aaron in a 12-0 win.

news@vanzandtnews.com The Canton Eaglettes lone game of last week would result in heartbreak, as the Mabank Lady Panthers won in walkoff fashion on Friday night to claim the district lead. The game would quickly turn into a duel of the aces, with Jaycee Bullard going for Canton and Kai Hudson dealing for Mabank.

The Canton track and field program was able to enjoy the comforts of home last week, welcoming county foes Edgewood and Van as well as Caddo Mills, Mabank, Mineola and Sunnyvale for the annual Eagle Relays at Norris Birdwell Stadium March 30.

The fifth annual Hoops for Autism All-Star Games will carry a distinct Van Zandt County flair in 2023 with multiple local athletes set to hit the court April 8 at E.B. Carrington Gymnasium in White Oak for this year’s festivities.

Two of Van Zandt County’s best baseball programs crossed paths in non-district play this week as the Canton Eagles played host to Grand Saline March 28. Canton would prevail in the matchup of perennial playoff contenders, methodically pulling away from their opponents in an eventual 6-0 shutout win.

The Wills Point Tiger baseball program hit the field just once for district play last week, tangling with the Mabank Panthers March 21. Wills Point would struggle both in the field and at the plate against Mabank, suffering a 10-0 setback to see their overall season mark to 5-11 overall.