A freshman’s clutch hit provided the Houston Tigers a rare victory in a one-run game.
Stetson Welch delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning last Thursday to rally HHS past Mountain Grove 4-3.
The Tigers are just 2-5 in one-run games –– both wins against Mountain Grove –– after dropping three games by a single run over the weekend in the Hartville Tournament. All five of their losses have been by a single run.
“It’s mostly mental,” HHS coach Brent Hall said. “We’re not used to winning. There’s no solution to it. They just have to go out and do it.”
Welch kept Houston (5-5) from dropping another one-run decision when he lined a 1-0 fastball to left field against the Panthers. The single brought home pinch runner Ethan Kelley and Devin Coulter for the Tigers’ second South Central Association victory of the season.
“Stetson has a lot of buddies that play for Mountain Grove, so that was big for him,” Hall said.
Coulter had two hits, including a single during the game-winning rally. Stetson Welch and Tanner Cantrell both singled to account for Houston’s four hits.
Coulter struck out eight batters in the complete-game victory. He gave up six hits and two earned runs.
The Tigers’ game-winning rally began when No. 9 hitter Austin Keeney walked on five pitches. Coulter followed with an infield single off the pitcher’s glove. Both he and Kelley advanced into scoring position on a wild throw.
That brought up Stetson Welch, who delivered the game-winning runs with a sharp single.
Mountain Grove went ahead 2-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth. The Tigers tied it with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Both runs were unearned.
The Panthers retook the lead with a run in the top of the seventh before Houston’s game-winning rally.
“I was hoping it would be the win that would help us turn the corner,” Hall said. “But it didn’t after what happened this weekend.”
The Tigers opened the Hartville Tournament on Friday with a 4-3 loss to Gainesville, followed by a 5-4 defeat against Laquey. They returned Saturday and lost 7-6 to Norwood.
Facing a three-game losing skid, HHS came home home Monday and beat Thayer 5-2 to improve to 3-2 in the SCA.
Coulter overcame a season-high five walks by striking out nine and scattering five hits in the complete-game victory.
“Devin didn’t have his best stuff,” Hall said, “but he battled, and we got enough timely hits.”
Coulter, who improved to 4-0, lowered his team-best 1.56 ERA by allowing one earned run.
“He doesn’t have lights-out stuff,” Hall said. “He throws strikes and keeps them off balance enough to get them out.”
Coulter, Tanner Cantrell and Aaron Cantrell had two hits apiece to lead the HHS offense. Stetson Welch and Tanner Cantrell knocked in two runs apiece.
Trailing 2-1, the Tigers broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning. Stetson Welch’s two-run single put HHS ahead, and Tanner Cantrell followed with a RBI triple. Quinton Alston also had a run-scoring single during the rally that gave Houston the lead for good.
“That was a good win,” Hall said. “We needed that to bounce back from the weekend.”