Two days, two walk-off victories for the Houston High School softball team.
Lizzy Swindell provided the heroics on Monday with a two-out single to bring home the winning run in a 10-9 victory against Strafford. The following day, Taylor Franklin delivered an encore. Franklin lined a two-run home run over the left-field fence to complete a 12-11 comeback victory against Thayer at Carter Field.
Franklin’s game-winner set off a wild celebration. It came a half-inning after she committed an error to allow Thayer to take a seventh-inning lead.
“I’ve seen her and other girls be done in that situation before because they are so down on themselves for mistakes they’ve made. I give her credit,” HHS coach Brent Hall said.
“I told her she was going to come to the plate and needed to get her head in the right place.”
With the Lady Tigers (9-3) trailing 11-10, sophomore Olivia Woosley singled with one out. She stole second base on the first pitch to Franklin.
Franklin knocked the ensuing pitch –– a belt-high fastball –– over the left-field fence. She got high-fives from coaches Ryan Munson and Hall as she rounded the bases and was mobbed by her teammates after stepping on home plate with the winning run.
“I thought that could happen,” Hall said of Franklin’s second homer of the season. “I was definitely expecting a hit from her and knew that was a possibility. When she hit it, I was wishing it over the fence.”
The consecutive victories got Houston back on track after they were blown out 17-2 last Thursday by Ava.
Hall hopes playing in close games will pay dividends for his team moving forward.
“We had a long talk about our mental approach,” Hall said. “We have the skills to beat anyone. The mental game has been the issue with these girls. We’ve got to learn to relax and play the same game we’ve always played.”
Franklin, who also doubled and had a sacrifice fly, knocked in four runs against Thayer. Woosley had four hits and Swindell was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Houston led 4-0 after two innings and had an 8-3 lead after scoring five times in the third. Swindell doubled home a pair of runs during the rally.
Hall said protecting leads and putting away good teams has been difficult for the Lady Tigers.
“To be honest, I’m a little upset. We didn’t have to get to that point (of Franklin’s home run),” he said. “Sometimes when the game gets tight, we get a little flustered. We’ve got to do a better job of not letting the pressure of the game get to us.”
On Monday, Houston’s winning rally started with junior Emily Harrison’s leadoff walk. After two outs, Franklin and Kayla Kelley singled to load the bases and bring up Swindell.
Swindell lined the second pitch she saw into the outfield to plate Harrison with the winning run.
Franklin, Kaylea Preheim and freshman Autumn Walker had three hits apiece in the victory.
On Thursday, Swindell had two hits in Houston’s 17-2 five-inning loss to Ava. Hailey Dodson and Preheim had one hit apiece.