Houston coach Willy Walker called Carmen Floyd’s shot.
Walker predicted Tuesday morning that Floyd would homer in that afternoon’s game. She did. Floyd connected for a solo home run in the sixth inning as the Lady Tigers beat Mountain Grove 8-6 at Carter Field.
It was the third victory in four games for Houston (9-7), which finished third Saturday at the Hollister Tournament.
Floyd went 4-for-4 to lead the Lady Tigers’ 12-hit attack against Mountain Grove. Freshman Taylor Franklin had three hits.
As she rounded the bases after hitting a towering solo homer over the left-field fence, Walker told Floyd that he had predicted earlier in the day that she would go deep.
“I didn’t say anything before the game, but I did tell her when she was rounding third base that I had predicted she would hit it out. She thought was pretty funny,” Walker said.
The Lady Tigers scored single runs in four innings and four in the fourth to take a 6-2 advantage. Belle Knarr, Hailey Dodson and Franklin each singled and scored in the fourth. Floyd doubled in the inning.
Houston led 7-5 in the sixth when Floyd hit her second career homer over the fence. She hit her last one early in the 2009 season.
“She’s got enough power and bat speed to drive it out,” Walker said. “Some people hit the ball and it goes up in the air and keeps going. That’s what she does.”
In the third-place game of the Hollister Tournament, Kaylea Preheim had a key two-run double as the Lady Tigers beat Forsyth 4-1.
Kayla Kelley doubled and scored two runs.
Floyd had two of Houston’s nine hits in a 7-6 victory in Friday’s opening round against Mansfield. The Lady Tigers lost 4-0 to Hollister in the semifinals.
On Thursday, Plato scored four times in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Lady Tigers 11-8 for its first victory of the season. The Lady Eagles had lost their first 10 games of the season, including an 8-2 defeat to Houston on Aug. 28
Plato sent 10 batters to the plate during its four-run ninth, which included four singles, a walk and error.
The Lady Tigers, who committed five errors, got singles from six different players. Floyd scored three runs.
