HOPE — The Class A No. 10 Hauser baseball team found itself in an early hole, but the Jets didn’t show any quit.
Trailing 7-0 against Class 3A No. 8 Batesville after three innings, Hauser cut the lead to 7-5. But the hole was too deep to overcome, and the Jets fell 9-6.
“(Batesville) got up on us. We made a couple of crucial errors there in the first couple of innings that allowed them to get some runs,” Hauser coach Nate Long said. “Our starting pitcher (Clayton) West was doing a good job of keeping the ball on the ground and keeping them off balance. We were able to come through with that big inning and get back in the game, and that was good for our kids.”
The Bulldogs put up three runs in the first inning and three more in the second to make it 6-0. In the top of the third, Batesville got a leadoff double. On the steal to third, an error was made on the throw, and the runner advanced to home to make it 7-0.
The Jets (12-8) put their first run on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Sam Miller reached base on an error and then scored on a Frankie Poole double to make it 7-1.
In the fifth, Levi Gollmer started the rally with a walk. Landon Asher singled to put runners on first and third. Aaron Rork hit a double to plate two runs. Kobe Meahl and Sam Miller then hit RBI-singles to cut the deficit to 7-5.
“We always teach, ‘We’re never done until the last out is over,’” Long said. “It’s a good job by our kids to keep playing and keep fighting through the game.”
The Bulldogs halted the Hauser momentum by scoring two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 9-5, and the Jets couldn’t put together another rally the rest of the game.
For Hauser, Asher went 2 for 4, Rork went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs and Poole was 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
On the mound, West allowed seven runs on eight hits and two strikeouts in four innings. Rork came on in relief and allowed two runs on three hits and five strikeouts in three innings.
“Pitching did well tonight,” Long said. “Both pitchers kept Batesville off balance, and we were able to do a good job on the mound and keep ourselves in the ballgame.”
