Houlka was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Smithville Seminoles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Seminoles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-4 last Tuesday.
Ryder Wilson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks.
Paxton Graves
| 03/28/25 vs Smithville | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Tremont | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs West Lowndes | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Smithville | 1 |
| 03/17/25 @ West Union | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
On the hitting side, Houlka saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Paxton Graves, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Graves is becoming a predictor of Houlka's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 2-10 when he doesn't).
Houlka's loss dropped their record down to 4-11. As for Smithville, their win ended a 13-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-15.
Looking ahead, Houlka will look to defend their home field on Monday against Ingomar at 5:00 p.m. As for Smithville, they will venture away from home to challenge West Union at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
