The Houston baseball team couldn’t hang onto an early three-run lead Monday at Ava and lost their South Central Association opener 5-4.
The Tigers (2-1, 0-1 SCA) scored three times in the first inning before giving up five unanswered runs to the Bears.
“We played well enough to win the game,” HHS coach Brent Hall said. “It was a game we had control of and let them back into it.”
Freshman Whitley Welch was 2-for-2 with a RBI for HHS. Trevor Merckling drove in a pair of runs.
Starter Aaron Cantrell gave up seven hits and five runs –– all earned ––– in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked five.
Houston was playing for the first time since beating Salem on March 20 due to inclement weather.
“That was a big concern. We felt like we were starting over,” Hall said. “It probably hurt Aaron’s pitching more than anything.”
After Devin Coulter and Kolby Walker walked leading off the first, Tanner Cantrell had a RBI single. Whitley Welch also drove home a run with a single, and Merckling had a RBI groundout to make it 3-0.
The Tigers were behind 5-3 entering the top of the seventh when they loaded the bases. Merckling’s groundout brought home one run. But Houston stranded the bases loaded to end the game.
AVA 5, HOUSTON 4
| HOUSTON (2-1) | AB | R | H | BI |
| Coulter ss | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Walker 1b | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TCantrell 3b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ACantrell p | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Alston lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| WWelch dh | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Merckling 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| SWelch rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeney c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 25 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| AVA (3-2) | AB | R | H | BI |
| Emrch 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gstnu ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Loge 1b | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jhnsn p | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Huff 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boyd c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vinson c | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Akers lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Porter rf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 23 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
2B: WWelch, Gastineau, Porter. SB: Boyd, Vinson. SAC: Walker, Huff, Akers.
| Houston |
300 |
000 | 1 |
– | 4 |
5 |
0 |
| Ava |
020 |
201 |
x | – | 5 |
7 |
1 |
| HOUSTON | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| ACantrell, L 1-1 | 5.2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| WWelch | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AVA | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Johnson, W | 5.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Loge, S | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
The Houston High School baseball team received matchups Tuesday for two upcoming tournaments.
The Tigers will face Gainesville and Laquey in pool play at the 15th annual Hartville Tournament on April 12. The fifth place, third place and championship games are the following day.
HHS will face Alton and Bakersville in consecutive games beginning at 1 p.m. April 27 at the Wood Bat Classic in West Plains.