Jets Grounded Late in Mitchell: Hauser Falls in Extra-Inning Regional Heartbreaker

The high-flying season for the Hauser Jets came to a heartbreaking halt on Saturday afternoon, as No. 5-ranked Hauser fell 7-6 in extra innings to No. 3 Knightstown in a dramatic Class 1A Regional Championship showdown at Mitchell.

In a battle between two top-five powerhouses, Hauser was one out away from punching its ticket to the semistate. But the Panthers clawed their way back with a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game at six before walking it off in the eighth to end the Jets’ postseason journey in stunning fashion.

The Jets took a 6-3 lead into the final frame behind another strong outing from ace Simeon Wasil, who battled through six-and-a-third gritty innings and left with the lead after racking up six strikeouts and allowing just four hits. Offensively, Wasil doubled and scored, and once again served as the heartbeat of a Hauser squad that had rattled off 14 straight wins entering the regional final.

Stryker Gill provided a perfect day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a double, and a run scored. Kam Blair added a double and an RBI, while freshman Kellen Spaugh came through with two hits and a pair of stolen bases to spark the offense.

The Jets racked up nine hits, drew eight walks, and stayed aggressive on the base paths — but they stranded 15 runners, including the go-ahead run in both the seventh and eighth innings.

The seventh inning proved to be the unraveling point. After Wasil exited with one out and two on, Knightstown’s offense sprang to life. A pair of Panther RBI singles and a two-out error allowed the tying run to score. The game stayed knotted at 6 until the bottom of the eighth, when a leadoff walk and a bloop single set up the walk-off hit that ended Hauser’s season.

Hauser finishes the year at 19-4 — a remarkable campaign that included a sectional title, a 14-game winning streak, and a dominant stretch of team baseball marked by elite pitching, disciplined at-bats, and fearless defense. The Jets gave everything they had, but in the end, it was the Panthers who prowled just a bit longer.

Despite the sting of the loss, the 2025 Hauser Jets leave behind a legacy of competitive fire, growth, and a senior class that helped elevate the program to statewide prominence. Their regional run may be over — but the echoes of their season will resonate through Hope for years to come.