Van proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by six) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over the De Kalb Bears. The Vandals have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Bears, too.
Colby West looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single hit any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Van got a big performance out of Rawly Hinch, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double was Hinch's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Connor Mccurley, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Vandals
| 02/21/26 vs De Kalb | 63.2% |
| 02/21/26 vs White Oak | 50% |
| 02/20/26 @ Mount Vernon | 37.5% |
Van always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .632. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Van's record is now 4-1-1. As for De Kalb, they are on a six-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Van will square off against Legacy at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for De Kalb, they will face off against Prairiland at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps