HOPE — Hauser gathered a few timely hits in the third inning that led to three runs and took a five run lead after five innings.
East Central came charging back.
The Trojans eventually tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh. In the 10th, they got a couple of big hits to give the Class A No. 3 Jets a 9-5 loss.
Hauser (10-4) did have a chance in the bottom of the 10th to tie the game with the bases loaded and one out, but the Trojans recorded the final two outs to end the threat.
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Hits were hard to come by early on in the game, but in the third, they became contagious. Jacob Johnson and Brandon Holt each singled, and starting pitcher Cameron Hartog then hit an RBI-double. Sean Miller then had a groundout RBI, and Evan Shaw added an RBI-single to give the Jets a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Parker Eickbush led off with a double and later scored on a Sam Meek single to for a 4-0 lead. In the fifth, Miller was hit by pitch, and a single by Meek lifted Hauser to a 5-0 lead.
“The kids got a fastball to hit,” Hauser coach Nathan Long said. “When we can hit fastballs hard, it usually puts a lot of pressure on the defense, and if we do that, good things can happen.”
Hartog pitched a solid game through the first five innings. He was in a bit of a jam in the sixth after East Central (6-7) picked up a single and a double. A groundout RBI and an error scored a couple runs to cut the lead to 5-2.
Hartog did not factor into the decision. He left with runners stranded via walk in the seventh, and both eventually scored on a misplay in the outfield. An RBI-single by the Trojans tied the game at 5-5.
“Cameron was great through six, and he pitched well enough to get the ‘W’,” Long said. “If I would’ve made the switch before the seventh inning, we probably would have won the game. They’re a good team over there, and Cameron did well. If the ball bounces our way, I believe we win that game in seven innings.”
The game was deadlocked through the eighth and ninth innings. In the top of the 10th, Nick Tillman and Josh Wilson reached base on a hit by pitch and walk, respectively for East Central. A sacrifice bunt put the runners on second and third.
Mason Dermody hit the go ahead RBI-single for the Trojans. After a groundout RBI, Matt Kuebel hit an RBI-double and then Jack Marro capped the rally with an RBI-single.
