Trailing 6-2 after 5 innings, the Houston High School baseball team erupted for 6 runs in the top of the sixth and went on to win, 8-6, Tuesday at Norwood.
The Tigers’ big rally came with 2 outs and nobody on base after the host Pirates turned a 6-4-3 double-play.
The outburst began with a single by freshman Knox McCloy and continued with back-to-back RBI doubles by freshmen Blake Sanders and Griffin Aaron. After senior Ethan Carter walked, sophomore Morgan “Chucky” Jackson smacked a single to left field to close the gap to 6-5.
Freshman Stryker Sloan followed with another base hit to load the bases, and the score was tied at 6-all when senior Aaden Scantlin was hit by a pitch. Junior Jasper McCloy then put Houston on top for good with a 2-run single.
Jasper McCloy also had a 2-run triple in the third inning and finished with 4 RBIs, raising his team-leading total to 18 on the season. He is also tied with Sloan for the team lead in batting average at .405 and has clouted 2 home runs.
Aaron started on the mound for Houston and worked 3 full innings, allowing 5 hits and 6 earned runs. Freshman Stryker Sloan pitched the fourth and fifth frames and allowed only 1 hit, while Scantlin threw the sixth and seventh, not allowing a hit while striking out 3 and walking 1.
The win drew longtime HHS head coach Brent Hall closer to the 400-win mark for his career, as his record now stands at 397-256.
The Diamond Tigers are scheduled to play a key South Central Association conference game Thursday at Thayer. Houston (8-6, 3-1 SCA) travels to Plato on Friday and to Licking on Monday.
