Unable to capitalize on several opportunities, the Houston High School baseball team suffered a season-ending 5-0 loss to Licking in the Class 3 District 9 Tournament Championship game Wednesday at Tiger Field.
The second-seeded Tigers had 8 baserunners during the contest (including 2 in the first inning, 1 in the second, 2 in the third, 1 in the sixth and 2 in the seventh), but they were ultimately all left stranded, as the team managed only 3 hits.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Wildcats made the most out of their 5 total hits. They got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the third inning, loading the bases on 2 walks and a single and then scoring 3 runs on a bases-clearing double by sophomore catcher Jason Ingram. Ingram’s big hit landed at the base of the fence in left field and came with 2 outs and 2 strikes.
Licking scored 2 more runs in the sixth inning, getting 1 on an error and another on a double to right-center by sophomore Parker Huff.
Senior Aaden Scantlin started on the mound for Houston and worked 5 2/3 innings before reaching his pitch limit, allowing 4 hits and 3 earned runs, while striking out 5 and walking 3. Freshman Griffin Aaron finished, allowing 1 hit and fanning 1.
In the fourth frame, the Wildcats had runners at second and third with nobody out, but Scantlin got out of a jam with a comebacker, a groundout to first and a pop fly.
Sophomore Trent Wood went 6 innings on the mound for Licking, allowing no runs and 3 hits, while striking out 6 and walking 4. Huff came on in relief in the top of the seventh with runners at first and second and no outs, and closed the door with a fly ball to center and 2 strikeouts.
On several occasions throughout the game, the Tigers made hard contact at the plate, only to have the ball go right at a Licking fielder.
“This was a good baseball game played by two good teams,” said HHS head coach Brent Hall. “Licking just got a couple of big hits with runners in scoring position that we did not, and that was the difference in the game.”
The Wildcats (24-9) will face Forsyth (21-15) in the sectionals round of the Class 3 State Tournament on May 26.
Licking reached the final game by downing fifth-seeded Willow Springs, 12-2, in the semifinals, while Houston got there by beating No. 3 Thayer, 10-0.
Youthful squad helps coach reach milestone
The Tigers won 4 of their last 5 games and finished the season with an overall record of 14-10.
“Overall, this team improved in many ways from the start of the season to the end,” Hall said. “Moving forward with the talented group we have, it’s not about the skill that we possess but the little things that add up over a course of a game and can be the difference in close ball games. The thing I am most proud of with this group is the way they came together and became brothers.”
Scantlin enjoyed his final high school baseball season, despite the tough loss at the end.
“This year, even though our team was so young, I felt like I could depend on them boys, whether it was baseball-related or not,” he said. “I have never had such a close bond with a team, and I think that’s why it was so tough. But considering that they are so young, I think they will have some really good years ahead of them.
“Personally, I never thought of their age when we were playing; I just thought about them as them as regular old ball players.”
One of the highlights of the season was Coach Hall reaching the 400-win mark for his career in a victory at Ellington on May 7.
“Being with coach Hall these last couple years,” Scantlin said, “I can say that he has taught me a lot more than just baseball, from his funny little talks to advice he gave all of us. Me and coach Hall would bicker back and forth sometimes, and I would be hateful to him and he would do the same right back, but after all of that I can strongly say that he has put a huge impact on my life and I will love him and all of the boys like family.”
The Tigers’ starting lineup in 2026 regularly included 5 freshmen, and the pitching staff featured 4 who worked significant innings.
“This program is in a good position to do special things over the course of the next few years,” Hall said.
