Just when it appeared the Houston baseball team was on a roll, the Tigers were dealt a setback.
After victories Saturday over Gainesville and Norwood, the Tigers committed six errors – leading to nine unearned runs – in a 12-0 loss Monday to Ava.
The lopsided defeat snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tigers (4-3).
“I felt like over the weekend we took a big step forward. Then against Ava, we took two steps back,” Houston coach Brent Hall said. “The big thing is to start playing well against the better teams. I think our guys came into the Ava game thinking they were going to have a hard time competing against them and it showed by the way they played.”
The Tigers managed two hits against Ava right-hander Weston Loftin, who struck out five and walked three in five strong innings.
Houston starter David Weybright allowed 11 hits and 11 runs – eight unearned – in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Trailing 6-0, the Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with a Weybright walk, followed by consecutive singles from Caleb Smith and Kirk Pierce. But Loftin wriggled out of the tight spot by getting cleanup hitter Tom Oakley to ground into a 6-2-3 double play.
Houston, which only produced one baserunner after the first inning, committed five errors in a sloppy fifth inning that led to four unearned runs and enforced the mercy rule.
On Saturday, Pierce fanned 11 batters and gave up just two hits in a 6-1 victory against Gainesville.
The Tigers played again immediately after the win and after trailing 3-2, scored seven unanswered runs for a 9-3 victory against Norwood.
Smith, who hit a three-run homer, was 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
Monday’s Game
AVA 12, HOUSTON 0
ahs ab r h bi hhs (4-3) ab r h bi
Herifrd ss 4 3 3 2 Wybrght p 1 0 0 0
Qcknbsh lf 4 1 0 0 Smith ss 2 0 1 0
Btchllr c 4 2 1 1 Pierce c 2 0 1 0
Goodll 1b 4 1 2 1 Oakley 1b 2 0 0 0
Loftin p 4 1 2 2 Cstlmn rf 0 0 0 0
Ritter 2b 3 1 0 0 Moony 3b 2 0 0 0 Hathck rf 3 1 2 3 Scheets lf 2 0 0 0
Stanifer 3b 3 1 1 0 Pounds dh 2 0 0 0
Plumb cf 1 0 0 0 Foster cf 2 0 0 0
Jenkins ph 1 1 1 0
Totals 30 12 12 9 Totals 15 0 2 0
2B: Heriford 2, Batcheller, Goodall. SB: Heriford, Loftin. CS: Hathcock. SAC: Stanifer.
Ava 600 15 – 12 12 0
Houston 000 00 – 0 2 6
ava ip h r er bb so
Loftin, W 6 2 0 0 3 5
houston ip h r er bb so
Weybright, L 4 2/3 12 11 8 1 4
Foster 1/3 1 1 0 0 0
HBP: Ritter (by Weybright).
Saturday’s Games
HOUSTON 9, NORWOOD 3
hhs (4-2) ab r h bi nhs ab r h bi
Wbrght cf 2 1 1 1 Rchrdsn cf 3 1 0 0
Smith ss 3 3 2 4 Jones c 2 1 0 0
Pierce c 2 1 1 2 Forrest ss 2 1 1 1
Oakley 1b 2 0 0 1 Gray 3b 0 0 0 0
Cstlmn p 2 0 1 1 TMctsh lf 2 0 0 0
Moony 3b 2 0 0 0 Coatney p 2 0 0 0
Scheets lf 2 1 0 0 Kile rf 1 0 0 1
Pounds 2b 1 2 1 0 Adler 1b 0 0 0 1
Foster lf 2 1 0 0 WMctsh 2b 2 0 0 0 Totals 18 9 6 9 Totals 14 3 1 3
2B: Pierce. HR: Smith. SB: Castleman 2, Smith, Mooney, Pounds, Richardson.
Houston 234 0 – 9 6 2
Norwood 300 0 – 3 1 1
houston ip h r er bb so
Smith 2/3 1 3 0 4 2
Castleman, W 3 1/3 0 0 0 2 4
HOUSTON 6, GAINSVILLE 1
hhs (3-2) ab r h bi nhs ab r h bi
Wbrght cf 3 0 0 0 Smith 3 0 0 0
Smith ss 2 2 0 0 Lyman lf 2 1 0 0
Pierce p 2 1 1 1 Taylor 3b 2 0 0 0
Oakley 1b 2 1 1 0 Pittaway c 2 0 1 1
Cstlmn lf 3 2 1 0 Partis p 1 0 0 0
Moony 3b 3 0 1 1 Robbins 2b 1 0 0 0
Scheets rf 3 0 1 1 Eubank cf 2 0 0 0
Pounds dh 3 0 0 0 Weldon 1b 2 0 1 0
Smith 2b 2 0 0 0 Thmpsn rf 2 0 0 0
Totals 23 6 5 3 Totals 17 1 2 1
2B: Pierce, Weldon. SB: Castleman
Houston 100 14 – 6 5 0
Gainesville 100 00 – 1 2 4
houston ip h r er bb so
Pierce, W 5 2 1 1 3 11
gainesville ip h r er bb so
Partis 3 3 1 1 0 3
Lyman, L 2 2 5 0 2 1
HBP: Smith (by Partis)