WESTPHALIA – The most successful season of Houston High School baseball in a decade ended in the sectional round of the state playoffs.
Fatima scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday night and despite being held to just one hit, edged the Tigers 2-1 in the Class 3 sectionals.
It was a heartbreaking end to a bounce-back season for HHS. The team earned its first district championship since 2007 and with a 16-10 record won the program’s most games since 2010.
Houston (16-10) is 1-6 all-time in the sectional round of the state playoffs. The lone victory was the 2007 team that finished second in the state. The Tigers won district titles but didn’t advance further in 1959, 1960, 1975, 1980 and 1992.
Fatima (14-14) beat Ava 4-1 on Wednesday to advance to the state semifinals. The Comets play West County on Monday.
Alex Castleman and Sterling Jackson were both 2-for-3 to account for four of Houston’s five hits. Connor Wilson had the other and scored the Tigers’ lone run.
Jackson, who threw four innings in relief of starter Jacob Koch, took the loss. He didn’t allow a hit while striking out six and walking three.
The HHS baseball team listens to the playing of the national anthem prior to Monday’s sectional game in Westphalia against Fatima.
HHS took a first-inning lead when Jackson’s two-out single to left field scored Wilson, who reached on a single and advanced to second on a flyout.
Fatima pulled even in the second on a walk, single and groundout.
The game remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning. Following a leadoff walk and stolen base, a wild throw by Wilson got past Castleman at first base and allowed Fatima’s Trey Herzing to score the go-ahead run as he slid safely around a tag attempt by Houston catcher Cody Allen.
Herzing scored both of Fatima’s runs after reaching via walks.
Fatima right-hander Austin Troesser was the complete-game winner. With a fastball in the low 80s, he struck out 11 and walked none.
BOX SCORE
| Houston | 100 | 000 | 0 | – | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Fatima | 010 | 001 | x | – | 2 | 1 | 1 |
HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Cody Allen c 4-0-0-0. Connor Wilson ss 2-1-1-0. Alex Castleman 2b 3-0-2-0. Sterling Jackson 1b 3-0-2-1. Jacob Koch 3-0-0-0. Trevor Mitchell 3b 3-0-0-0. Devin Wallander dh 3-0-0-0. Braedin Groff rf 3-0-0-0. Hunter Stilley cf 3-0-0-0. Totals 27-1-5-1.
| HOUSTON | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Koch | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Jackson, L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 |