Trailing 4-3 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Houston High School softball team erupted for 7 runs to turn a 1-run deficit into a 6-run lead on the way to defeating Ava 11-4 in a key South Central Association conference game Monday at Carter Field in Houston.
The big blow during the outburst was a grand slam home run by sophomore second baseman Katy Evans that sailed high into the pine trees beyond the fence in left-center field.
“I’m super proud of the girls for rising to the occasion and showing that no moment is too big for them,” said HHS head coach Jim Moore.
Neither team scored until the third inning, when Houston went ahead 3-0 on a 2-run double by junior Makinley Aaron and a run-scoring error.
Ava got a run in the top of the fourth frame on a solo homer to center field by sophomore catcher Makenna Coonts. The Lady Bears took the lead in the fifth, loading the bases on 2 walks and a hit batter, and then scoring 1 run on a passed ball and adding 2 more on a single by sophomore pitcher Hunter Strunk.
Then came the Lady Tigers’ big inning.
The decisive rally began when junior right fielder Katy Scheets beat out a grounder for an infield single. After a 1-out single by sophomore left fielder Lilly Kincaid, Aaron smacked an RBI single to center to make it a 4-4 game. After senior Kelsey Pritchett singled to load the bases, Evans stepped into the batter’s box and changed the game with one swing.
Before the inning was over, Houston scored a run on a fielder’s choice and another on a wild pitch.
“Ava’s a really well-coached, good team,” Moore said. “We talked before the game about how they were going to play well at times and how we were going to play well at times, and how we just needed to be able to handle the adversity and make more big plays than they did.
“That’s exactly what happened in that inning; they got some girls on base and then got some timely hitting, but our girls didn’t blink at that and came right back and tied it up. And then our sophomore came up in a big-time situation and delivered a big blow.”
The Lady Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Aaron lined a double to left field and came home on a single by Pritchett.
Pritchett was in the pitcher’s circle for Houston and went the distance, allowing 7 hits while striking out 6 and walking 5.
Strunk also worked a complete game, allowing 11 hits and 8 earned runs while fanning 4 and walking 4.
The Lady Tigers didn’t’ commit an error in the game, while the Lady Bears had 3.
“We’re playing good defense, and I expect that to continue – and actually get even better,” Moore said. “We made plays and played a clean hand, and that’s what you have to do against good competition.”
CONWAY TOURNAMENT
In a 6-team tournament last Saturday at Conway, the Lady Tigers went 2-1 and took third place.
In pool play, Houston absorbed a 2-1 loss in 8 innings against a tough Buffalo squad and beat Licking 10-1. The Lady Tigers then downed host Conway 7-3 in the third-place game before Buffalo whipped Stoutland 10-0 in the championship matchup.
In the loss to Buffalo, neither team scored until the eighth inning.
Houston got on the board in the top of the frame with a run on an RBI single by Cavaness.
But the Lady Bison responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, with the contest ending on an RBI triple by sophomore Leah White.
White was in the pitcher’s circle for Buffalo and went the distance, allowing only 2 hits while striking out 14 and not issuing a walk.
Pritchett pitched a complete game for Houston and allowed only 3 hits while fanning 3 and walking 1.
The Lady Tigers’ didn’t commit an error in the contest, while the Lady Bison committed 3.
Against Licking, Kincaid pitched all 6 innings for Houston and allowed only 4 hits.
The Lady Tigers had 7 hits in the game, with junior Sophia Crites going 2-for-4 with a triple and 3 RBIs, while Aaron went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs.
In the 5-inning game against Conway (that ended after the 1 ½ hour time limit), Aaron pitched and allowed 2 hits while striking out 7 and walking 8.
Houston had 5 hits, with sophomore catcher Gracyn McNiell going 2-for-2 with a run scored.
EXTRA HOME GAME
Last Thursday, the Lady Tigers whipped Cabool 15-0 in an SCA contest at Carter Field.
The Lady Tigers were the road team in the contest, which was originally scheduled to be played at Cabool, but was moved due to wet conditions at the Lady Bulldogs’ field.
Houston scored in all 4 innings of the run-rule shortened game, getting on the board with 2 runs in the top of the first, and adding 3 in the second, 4 in the third and 6 more in the fourth.
Aaron had another big outing for the Lady Tigers, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, an RBI and 3 runs scored, while also working all 4 innings in the pitcher’s circle, allowing no hits while striking out 5 and walking 5. Her perfect day with the bat gave her 7 hits in her last 7 at-bats.
Through Monday, Aaron was batting .556 and had driven in 29 runs, both team highs. Meanwhile, Evans’ batting average was .438 (second on the squad) and she had recorded 14 hits – 12 for extra bases (including 3 homers).
With their sights set on another conference championship (hopefully outright), the Lady Tigers (12-2, 5-0 SCA through Monday) host a big SCA matchup on Thursday (April 18) against another set of Lady Bears from Willow Springs.
The two teams met in a similar situation last year at Willow, and a loss by the Lady Tigers resulted in a shared SCA title.
After downing Cabool 16-1 on Monday, Willow Springs (14-3, 4-1 SCA through Monday) can again pull even atop the SCA standings with a win over Houston.
“We’ll be ready to go, and firing on all cylinders,” Moore said. “We expect it to be another outstanding ballgame; Willow is well-coached and they are playing awesome.”
