Houston baseball coach Brent Hall said the season opener would tell him exactly where his team stood.
The answer? There’s still work to do.
The Tigers struggled in all phases in the first game of 2009. They managed just one hit and committed five errors in a 14-0 loss at Salem in the opening round of the SCA Tournament.
Houston (0-1) faces Mountain View-Liberty at 4 p.m. Thursday at Salem in the loser’s bracket.
“I was pretty disappointed to say the least,” Hall said. “It basically tells us we really need to get to work.”
The JV Tigers defeated Salem 5-1.
Senior David Weybright led off the game with a single to center field. But things quickly went downhill.
Weybright was erased on a double play the very next batter and was the only Tiger to reach base. Salem’s Grant Gordon struck out nine batters and walked none as he cruised through four innings.
Gordon, who has signed with Missouri State University, needed just 60 pitches in the complete-game victory. He struck out the side in the second and third innings.
“Our younger kids were intimidated when he stepped on the mound,” Hall said of Gordon. “Probably the one guy that wasn’t intimidated was David Weybright.”
While Gordon cruised, Houston starter Chris Mooney struggled through two innings. He walked four and was burnt by five second-inning errors that led to six unearned runs.
Houston committed three consecutive errors – by its second baseman, third baseman and shortstop – during one stretch in the second inning as Salem (1-0) took a commanding 7-0 lead.
“(Mooney) settled down a little bit and got some ground balls, and we didn’t field them at all,” Hall said. “The middle infield really let us down.”
Senior David Foster gave up six hits and seven runs – all earned – in the final two innings. He walked four and struck out one.
Houston was without starting catcher Caleb Smith, who served a one-game suspension dating back to an ejection from last year’s district tournament.
“I told the guys – even before the game when I obviously didn’t know what would happen – this is a game to see where we’re at,” Hall said. “Obviously, there are some things we need to work on.
“This is just the first step in a long road.”
