A busy week for the Houston baseball team is off to a good start.
The Tigers, who beat Cabool in the conference opener on Monday, made it back-to-back victories with a 12-9 win Tuesday against Newburg in the opener of the Plato Tournament.
HHS (5-4) got a day off Wednesday before entering a stretch of four games in three days beginning Thursday with a home conference matchup with Ava. The Tigers will then play Stoutland on Friday and Cabool and Plato on Saturday morning to wrap up six games in six days.
Down to their final three outs and trailing Newburg 9-7 on Tuesday, the Tigers scored five times to rally for the win. Ethan Kelley then retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The top of the Tigers’ lineup did most of the damage. Houston’s first four batters –– Whitley Welch, Nathan Poynter, Stetson Welch and Kyle Wilson –– went a combined 8-for-14 with five runs scored and nine RBIs.
Poynter led the way with three hits and three RBIs. Whitley Welch, Wilson and Kelley all had two hits apiece.
Kelley (1-1) was the complete-game winner as he allowed nine runs –– five earned –– in seven innings. He gave up six hits while striking out three and walking three.
BOX SCORE
Houston 101 005 5 –– 12 12 6
Newburg 011 007 0 –– 9 6 1
HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) –– Whitley Welch c 4-2-2-2. Nathan Poynter ss 4-2-3-3. Stetson Welch 3b 3-1-1-2. Kyle Wilson lf 3-0-2-2. Ross Wells dh 5-0-1-1. Trevor Motzkus cf 5-1-0-0. Kameron Root 1b 2-1-1-0. Josh Hurst pr 0-1-0-0.Ethan Kelley p 3-2-2-0. Matt Knarr rf 2-2-0-1. Totals 31-12-12-11.
2B: Wilson. 3B: WWelch. SF: WWelch, Poynter. SB: Motzkus, Kelley. CS: SWelch 2, Poynter.
HHS IP H R ER BB SO
Kelley, W 7 6 9 5 3 3
- Monday at Cabool – W, 10-9
Tuesday vs. Newburg – W, 12-9* - Thursday vs. Ava, 4:30 p.m.
- Friday vs. Stoutland, 4 p.m.*
- Saturday vs. Cabool, 9 a.m.*
- Saturday vs. Plato, 11 a.m.*
*Plato Tournament