Tigers win Plato Tournament

An advantage in run differential made the Houston Tigers the champions of the Plato Tournament.

HHS went 2-1 in the two-day tournament last weekend with victories against Cabool and Newburg and a loss to Plato. The Eagles also finished 2-1, but had a bigger margin of defeat in their loss to make Houston the champs.

In Friday’s opener, senior Quinton Alston struck out 12 batters as the Tigers blanked Cabool 7-0.

Leadoff hitter Devin Coulter was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs to pace the HHS offense. Aaron Cantrell and Trevor Merckling had two hits apiece.

Houston (5-5) scored four times in the second inning to take a lead in wouldn’t relinquish. Merckling started the scoring with a RBI single to score Aaron Cantrell and Alston scored on an error by the left fielder. Merckling raced home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 and Coulter followed with a run-scoring double to cap the rally.

In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Tigers committed five errors and lost to host Plato 9-5.

Tanner Cantrell was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Whitley Welch had two hits and a pair of RBIs. HHS out-hit Plato 12-6.

Aaron Cantrell gave up three hits and eight runs – six earned – in four innings. He struck out seven and walked six.

After failing behind 2-0, the Tigers scored three times in the bottom of the first. Tanner Cantrell and Whitley Welch had back-to-back RBI doubles to tie it and later took the lead via a Plato error.

The Eagles scored twice on wild pitches in the fourth to take the lead and added five more runs in the fifth to pull away. Two of those runs were scored by a wild pitch and fielding error.

On Saturday, sophomore Ethan Kelley allowed one hit in five innings as HHS concluded the tournament with a 14-0 five-inning victory against Newburg.

Kelley struck out six batters and walked none in the complete-game victory.

Ten different players accounted for the Tigers’ 12 hits. Alston and Trevor Motzkus had two hits apiece. Aaron Cantrell scored twice.

BOX SCORES

Saturday’s game

NEWBURG (ab-r-h-bi) – Yelton p 2-0-0-0. Kaitich lf 2-0-0-0. Brinkley c 1-0-0-0. Constable cf 2-0-0-0. Wolford 1b 2-0-0-0. Reagan 2b 2-0-1-0. Rigsby ss 2-0-0-0. Bales rf 1-0-0-0. Whittaker 3b 2-0-0-0. Totals 17-0-1-0.

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Devin Coulter ss 3-2-1-1. Kyle Wilson ph 1-0-0-0. Kolby Walker 1b 1-1-1-2. Austin Keeney ph 1-0-1-0. Aaron Cantrell cf 3-3-1-0. Whitley Welch c 3-0-1-2. Quinton Alston lf 3-1-2-1. Stetson Welch 3b 0-1-0-0. Ethan Kelley p 1-1-1-0. Cole Hooper rf 2-1-0-0. Trevor Merckling 2b 2-2-2-1. Trevor Motzkus ph 1-2-1-0. Totals 21-14-12-7.

2B: Alston, Motzkus. 3B: Coulter, ACantrell. SAC: Walker. SF: WWelch, Walker. SB: Kelley 4, SWelch 3, Alston 2, Coulter, ACantrell, Merckling, Hooper.

Friday’s games

PLATO (ab-r-h-bi) – Supancio ss 5-1-0-0. Koehler 2b 4-1-1-0. Penley c 2-0-1-0. Crews cf 2-2-2-0. Miller lf 3-2-1-1. Hathaway 1b 2-1-0-0. Bohannon dh 4-0-0-0. Sponsel 3b 4-0-1-1. Pittman rf 2-0-0-0. Adams rf 1-2-0-0. Totals 29-9-6-3.

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Devin Coulter ss 4-1-2-0. Kolby Walker 1b 4-0-1-0. Tanner Cantrell 1b 4-1-3-2. Whitley Welch dh 4-1-2-2. Aaron Cantrell p 4-0-1-0. Quinton Alston lf 4-0-1-0. Trevor Merckling 2b 3-0-0-0. Nathan Poynter rf 2-0-0-0. Stetson Welch ph 1-0-1-0. Ethan Kelley cf 3-1-1-0. Totals 33-5-12-4.

2B: Tanner Cantrell 2, WWelch, Alston, SWelch. SF: Penley. SB: Crews 2, Adams 2, ACantrell, Kelley.

CABOOL (ab-r-h-bi) – Davis cf 3-0-0-0. LStillwell 2b 3-0-2-0. NStillwell p3-0-0-0. Barnes ss 2-0-1-0. Medley 1b 2-0-0-0. Green dh 3-0-1-0. Hardy c 2-0-0-0. Hutson lf 3-0-0-0. Shelton 3b 1-0-0-0. Totals 22-0-4-0.

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Devin Coulter ss 4-1-3-2. Kolby Walker 1b 3-0-0-0. Tanner Cantrell 3b 3-0-1-0. Whitley Welch c 2-0-0-0. Aaron Cantrell cf 3-1-2-0. Quinton Alston p 2-1-0-0. Stetson Welch dh 3-1-0-0. Trevor Merckling 2b 3-2-2-1. Nathan Poynter rf 2-1-0-1. Totals 25-7-8-5.

2B: Coulter 2, Merckling. SB: Coulter 2, ACantrell, Poynter, Hooper. CS: LStillwell.