Tigers lose in extra innings on Hammons Field

The Houston Tigers experienced baseball at one of the highest levels Wednesday when they faced Marshfield on Hammons Field.

Playing at the home stadium of the Springfield Cardinals – the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals – Houston rallied from an early deficit before losing 7-6 in nine innings.

Senior Aaron Cantrell was 2-for-3 with three RBIs to pace the HHS offense. Kolby Walker also had a pair of hits and scored twice.

Trailing 6-0 after Marshfield scored two runs apiece in the first, third and fourth innings, the Tigers scored six unanswered runs to pull even.

Aaron Cantrell doubled home two runs and Quinton Alston followed with a RBI double in a three-run fourth inning. Walker singled home a run and Cantrell had an infield run-scoring single in the fifth as the Tigers pulled even at 6-all.

Houston (9-8), which committed five errors, made two mistakes in the top of the ninth to allow the go-ahead run to score. The Tigers went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.

Alston gave up seven hits and six runs in the no-decision. Stetson Welch, who allowed two hits and an unearned run in two innings of relief, took the loss.

The following day, the Tigers scored nine times in the fifth inning to break open a close game and beat Licking 16-6 in six innings.

Tanner Cantrell was 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBIs and his fourth home run of the season. Merckling and Devin Coulter also knocked in three runs.

Aaron Cantrell gave up six hits and five earned runs in the complete-game victory. He struck out four and walked one.

On Monday, Coulter one-hit Cabool on 61 pitches and Tanner Cantrell homered in the Tigers’ 6-0 victory.

Coulter struck out three batters as he improved to 3-2.

Tanner Cantrell was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Trevor Merckling had three hits and knocked in a pair of runs.

BOX SCORES

MARSHFIELD 7, HHS 6

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Devin Coulter ss 5-1-1-0. Kolby Walker 1b 4-2-2-1. Tanner Cantrell 3b 3-0-1-0. Whitley Welch c 4-0-1-1. Aaron Cantrell cf 3-1-2-3. Quinton Alston p 4-0-1-1. Trevor Merckling 2b 4-0-1-0. Stetson Welch rf 4-0-1-0. Ethan Kelley lf 4-1-1-0. Trevor Motzkus cr 0-1-0-0. Totals 35-6-11-6.

2B: Coulter, ACantrell, Alston. SB: ACantrell, Merckling. CS: ACantrell, Motzkus.

HHS 16, LICKING 6

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Devin Coulter ss 3-2-2-3. Kolby Walker 1b 4-2-0-1. Tanner Cantrell 3b 3-3-3-3. Whitley Welch c 5-0-0-1. Aaron Cantrell p 4-1-2-1. Quinton Alston lf 4-2-2-2. Trevor Merckling 2b 3-2-2-3. Stetson Welch rf 2-0-0-0. Nathan Poynter rf 1-2-0-0. Ethan Kelley cf 4-1-0-0. Chance Gale cr 0-1-0-0. Totals 33-16-11-14.

2B: ACantrell, Merckling. 3B: Coulter. HR: TCantrell. SB: Coulter 2, Merckling 2, Poynter 2, Kelley. CS: Coulter.

HOUSTON 6, CABOOL 0

HOUSTON (ab-h-r-bi) – Devin Coulter p 5-0-2-0. Kolby Walker 1b 5-1-1-0. Tanner Cantrell 3b 4-3-3-1. Whitley Welch c 4-0-2-2. Aaron Cantrell cf 5-0-1-0. Quinton Alston lf 2-2-1-0. Trevor Merckling 2b 4-0-3-2. Stetson Welch rf 3-0-0-0. Ethan Kelley lf 2-0-1-0. Totals 34-6-14-5.