Leading 4-1 after 5 innings, the Houston High School baseball team couldn’t finish the job and fell 6-4 to Ava in a South Central Association game Thursday at Tiger Field.
Neither team scored until the third inning, when the host Tigers got a run with 2 outs. Sophomore Jackson “Chucky” Morgan got aboard on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on a single by freshman Stryker Sloan, took third on a wild pitch and then came home on a passed ball.
The visiting Bears evened the score in the top of the fourth with an unearned run on a throwing error.
Houston went ahead again in the bottom of the frame when junior Jasper McCloy smacked a leadoff double to left field, went to third on a groundout and then scored on a sacrifice fly by his brother, freshman Knox McCloy.
After holding Ava scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, the Tigers took a 4-1 advantage with 2 outs in the bottom of the frame. After Morgan and Sloan drew back-to-back walks, they both moved up a base on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by senior Aaden Scantlin.
But the Bears cut the deficit to 4-3 in the sixth inning with 1 run on an RBI double by sophomore Parker Smith and 1 more run on a balk.
Ava then added 3 runs in the seventh inning. After getting runners on base with a double and a single, the Bears tied the score with a run on a groundout, took the lead with a run on an error and added an insurance run on another error.
Senior Kyle Pitts went the distance on the mound for Ava and produced a very steady performance, scattering 7 hits and allowing 3 earned runs, while striking out 6 and walking 2. Pitts struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh inning and got the final out of the game on a pop fly to shortstop. He also led off at the plate and went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Scantlin started on the mound for Houston and lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing only 3 hits and 2 earned runs while fanning 6 and walking 3. After he was lifted due to pitch count rules, Jasper McCloy and Sanders each worked 2/3 of an inning.
Houston committed a season-high 6 errors in the contest while Ava didn’t have one.
“Errors in the game and the errors happening at crucial times was the difference in this game,” said HHS head coach Brent Hall.
With the win, the Bears clinched the SCA championship with an undefeated 7-0 run in conference play and raised their overall record to 12-4.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 10-8, 4-2 in the SCA. It also kept Hall one win short of 400 for his career at 399-258.
Houston has two nonconference road games scheduled for next week: At Hartville on Monday and at Ellington on Thursday.
TO VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE CONTEST (WITH THE OPTION TO PURCHASE PHOTOS), CLICK HERE.
