Ava spoils Lady Tigers’ late rally

Ava spoiled the Houston softball team’s late rally.

The Lady Tigers scored five times with two outs in the sixth inning to tie the score. But Ava answered with three runs in the top of the seventh and beat HHS 11-8 Thursday afternoon on Carter Field.

Senior Lizzy Swindell doubled twice and knocked in five runs. Swindell, Olivia Woosley and Stephani Crewse had two hits apiece.

Houston (8-11, 1-3 South Central Association) lost its third straight game and has dropped five of its last six.

With the Lady Tigers trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Woosley started the rally with a run-scoring single. Swindell followed with a three-run double to right field and Tommi Franklin singled to score Swindell and tie it 8-8.

Ava, which never trailed, pushed across three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh and escaped a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run in the bottom of the inning.

Kylee Elmore struck out two and walked seven in the complete-game loss.

On Tuesday, Franklin had two of the Lady Tigers’ five hits in their 9-6 loss at Hartville.

BOX SCORES

Thursday’s game

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Autumn Walker 2b 3-1-1-1. Olivia Woosley ss 5-2-2-1. Lizzy Swindell 1b 4-1-2-5. Tommi Franklin 3b 3-0-1-1. Abbey Slocum rf 4-0-1-0. Tori McCloud cf 3-1-1-0. Stephani Crewse c 4-1-2-0. Shelby Cremer lf 1-2-0-0. Taylor Chipps dp 3-0-0-0. Totals 30-8-10-8.

2B: Swindell 2, Walker. 

Losing pitcher: Elmore.

Tuesday’s game

HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – Autumn Walker 2b 4-1-0-0. Olivia Woosley ss 4-1-1-1. Lizzy Swindell 1b 4-1-1-1. Tommi Franklin 3b 4-2-2-2. Abbey Slocum rf 3-0-1-1. Tori McCloud cf 1-0-0-1. Stephani Crewse c 2-0-0-0. Shelby Cremer lf 2-1-0-0. Taylor Chipps dp 3-0-0-0. Totals 27-6-5-6.

2B: Swindell, Franklin. SB: Swindell, McCloud, Cremer.