ALTON –– Anything that could go wrong did for the Houston softball team in the district semifinals.
The No. 4 Lady Tigers committed nine errors and struck out in seven of their nine plate appearances in a 16-0 three-inning loss last Thursday to top-seeded Willow Springs.
HHS hung close to the Lady Bears for six innings just a week earlier. But the postseason was a different story.
“Imploding is the best way to put it,” Lady Tigers coach Brent Hall said. “We had enough mistakes in the first inning for an entire game. I hated to see our seniors go out that way.”
In the semifinals the previous day, Houston jumped ahead early and despite a shaky finish, easily beat fifth-seeded Mountain View-Liberty 10-4
Autumn Walker, Taylor Chipps and Madison Lawson knocked in two runs apiece in Houston’s district-opening victory. Stephani Crewse had three hits while Chipps, Lawson and Shelby Cremer had two apiece.
Sophomore Carly Crawford gave up six hits and four runs –– two earned –– in the complete-game victory. She struck out three and walked seven.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Houston pulled ahead on Lawson’s two-out, two run single. Cremer followed with a RBI single to make it 3-1.
Kaitlyn Root tripled to score Crewse in the third, and Abbey Slocum’s RBI hit put the Lady Tigers in front 5-1.
Walker’s RBI double made it a five-run cushion and the lead swelled to 7-1 entering the fifth. HHS built a 10-1 lead on Chipp’s two-run single in the fifth.
Houston finished with a 10-14 record –– the program’s first sub-.500 season in four seasons under Hall.
“Just a lot of inconsistency,” Hall said. “I felt like we were a better team than what we showed. But the girls always fought and hustled. At the end of the day, that’s what you’re looking for.”
BOX SCORES
Thursday’s game
Houston 000 –– 0 0 9
Willow (15)1x –– 16 5 0
Hits: None.
Losing pitcher: Carly Crawford
Wednesday’s game
Liberty 010 000 3 –– 4 6 4
Houston 032 230 x –– 10 13 1
Hits: Stephani Crewse 3, Taylor Chipps 2, Madison Lawson 2, Shelby Cremer 2, Autumn Walker, Tori McCloud, Kaitlyn Root, Abbey Slocum.
Winning pitcher: Carly Crawford.
Friday’s championship
Willow Springs 4, Neelyville 1
Thursday’s semifinals
Willow Springs 16, Houston 0
Neelyville 10, Alton 0
Wednesday’s first round
Houston 10, Liberty 4
Alton 5, East Carter 4