Cougars battle through District Tournament
The Central McLean Cougars saw their 2026 American Legion baseball season come to a close during the District Tournament in Washburn, battling through three competitive games before ending the year with a 12-16 overall record.
The Cougars opened tournament play Friday, July 17, against Belfield/South Heart in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final inning.
Central McLean matched its opponent with five hits, but Belfield/South Heart capitalized on timely opportunities to claim a 3-2 victory.
After a scoreless first inning, Belfield/South Heart broke through with a run in the second before the Cougars answered in the bottom of the third. Central McLean tied the game at 1-1 when Beckett Vaagene drove in a run, keeping the contest even heading into the middle innings.
Belfield/South Heart regained the lead with another run in the fifth, but the Cougars responded immediately. Aiden Hanson delivered an RBI to knot the score at 2-2 and set up a tense finish.
The deciding run came in the top of the seventh, however, as Belfield/South Heart pushed across what proved to be the game-winning run before holding Central McLean scoreless in its final at-bat.
The Cougars collected five hits in the loss. Ethan Hanson, Cooper Kittler, Jackson Blotter, Aiden Hanson and Beckett Vaagene each recorded one hit. Hanson and Vaagene drove in the team’s two runs, while Kittler, Blotter, Aiden Hanson, Jaxon Wagner, Vaagene and Chase Kinn all reached base via walks.
Dawson Smith turned in another dependable outing on the mound, pitching all seven innings. Smith allowed five hits and three runs, only one of them earned, while striking out three and walking four.
Facing elimination, Central McLean responded with one of its strongest offensive performances of the season on Saturday, defeating the Bismarck Barons 10-6 to keep its tournament hopes alive.