The Jets (18-7) will play Cincinnati Roger Bacon (19-8) at 5 p.m. Friday at Nischwitz in the region final in a battle of unranked teams. The winner will play in the state semifinals next week in Akron. Bacon, which defeated Reading 6-3, has been to state five times, most recently in 2019.
Houseman knows what is at stake.
“There’s everything to lose,” he said. “We got to play our game, play the same game we played and good things will happen.”
Since a 3-6 start to the season, good things have come in bunches for the Jets. They have won 15 of 16 games since the difficult start.
“It’s been amazing,” said senior first baseman Seth Hall. “It’s just believing in everyone and trusting everyone’s abilities and just go out there and play ball.”
The Jets did that from the start, taking advantage of two walks and four hit batters to score twice in the first inning and four times in the third. After Moone scored on a wild pitch, Dylan Haggy tripled in the second run for a 2-0 lead.
“I told them earlier in the week, six runs is going to win the game,” Jets first-year coach Tom Piatt said. “Scoring early is important with a team like that because with the high-powered offense that they have you got to keep up with them. If you don’t keep up with them and score early, then they’re going to get the momentum. You got to take the momentum from them.”
The Jets scored on a fielder’s choice to start the third for a 3-2 lead. Then a single by Hall drove in one run, and a second one scored when the ball got past the center fielder for an error. The final run scored on a balk for a 6-2 lead.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Hall said of his big moment at the plate. “But when it comes to that time, you just got to calm down, take deep breaths and just produce.”
Momentum was in question after CHCA (25-2) tied the score 2-2 in the bottom of the first. Jack Vogele hit a leadoff homer and Moone balked twice to lead to a second run. Then he got three straight outs with runners on second and third and held the Eagles scoreless until a two-run fifth.
“He handled it like a senior — he didn’t let it rattle him,” Piatt said. “He fixed the problem with the balks.”
Houseman got the final two outs in the fifth and left the bases loaded. In the seventh, a one-out double led to Vogele at bat with two outs. Houseman threw a few breaking balls then a fastball before going back to a breaking ball to get Vogele to fly out to end the game.
“I know my teammates are behind me, and when the game’s on the line, I’m on my prime,” Houseman said. “So I go out there, I chucked the ball and I got faith in my teammates.”
Houseman and Moone won’t be able to pitch Friday. Piatt will turn to senior Preston Graves and junior Travis Tuttle.
“Travis and Graves, they’re great, they’ve been solid all year, and I don’t think anything will change tomorrow,” Moone said. “This team’s special. I think we got everything we need to win the next one and make it all the way to state.”
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