The Houston Tigers are 0-2 against their first-round district opponent. But both games were close.
HHS will face Salem for the third time this season when the teams meet at 9 a.m. Saturday on Tiger Field in the opening game of the Class 3 District 10 Tournament.
Other first-round games feature Cuba vs. St. James and Mountain Grove against Mountain-View Liberty.
The sixth-seeded Tigers (6-13) hung tough in both regular-season matchups with No. 3 Salem. HHS lost to Salem 5-3 in the second game of the season and was defeated 9-8 in eight innings on April 5.
The Tigers dropped three extra-innings games this season before outlasting Plato 7-3 in nine innings Friday.
Chance Gale started the winning rally with a leadoff single in the top of the ninth. He scored on Quinton Alston’s RBI groundout. Devin Coulter had a run-scoring single to make it 5-3, and Tanner Cantrell and Aaron Cantrell followed with RBIs to complete the rally.
Senior Ethan Williamson allowed two earned runs in the complete-game victory. He struck out four and walked none.
Gale was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Williamson and Tanner Cantrell had two hits apiece.
On Tuesday, the Tigers and Mansfield combined to walk 23 batters in a sloppy game. Mansfield won 4-3.
Coulter had two of the Tigers’ five hits. Tanner Cantrell was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.
JUNIOR VARSITY: The JV Tigers finished second Saturday at the Rolla Tournament.
Coulter, Tanner Cantrell and Aaron Cantrell had two hits apiece in Houston’s 15-1 win against Waynesville.
The Tigers lost 6-5 in the title game against Rolla.
On Tuesday, Ty Wilkins had a complete-game victory in a 3-1 win against Mansfield. Aaron Cantrell had two of the team’s six hits.
Saturday’s games
(3) Salem vs. (6) Houston, 9 a.m.
(4) Cuba vs. (5) St. James, 11:30 a.m.
(2) Mtn. Grove vs. (7) Liberty, 2 p.m.
Monday’s games
(1) Ava vs. Cuba/St. James, 2 p.m.
MG/Liberty vs. Houston/Salem, 4 p.m.
Tuesday’s game
Championship, 4 p.m.