Starting the 2025 season in another state, the Houston High School softball team won twice and lost once late last week at the annual Blazer Blast Tournament hosted by Valley View Public Schools at the massive, 10-field Southside Softball Complex in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The gigantic event featured 48 teams in six 8-team divisions. Playing in the Orange Division, Houston was defeated 8-6 by Cross County of Cherry Valley, Arkansas, on Friday. The Lady Tigers then rebounded on Saturday, routing Marked Tree, Arkansas, 17-6, and Holcomb, Missouri, 14-1.
“I’m pretty pleased with how we played overall,” said HHS head coach Jim Moore. “We got off to a slow start in the first game against a really good team, and maybe we had a little bit of jitters or something like that.”
Houston led the opener 2-1 after 3 innings, but Cross County scored 4 runs in the top of the fourth frame and tacked on 3 more in the fifth. The Lady Tigers put up another 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but were held scoreless in the sixth and final frame.
Houston had 5 hits in the contest, including a solo home run by senior left fielder Katy Scheets.
Junior Lilly Kincaid went the distance in the pitcher’s circle for the Lady Tigers and allowed 9 hits and 7 earned runs, while striking out 5 and walking 3.
Games in the tournament were timed, and time expired before a seventh inning could be played.
“We made a couple of mistakes early that cost us – both in the field and on the basepaths,” Moore said. “But we clawed back into that game, and had an opportunity to win. We were making a comeback, and we would really have liked to play one more inning.”
Both of Saturday’s games were short, as Houston posted run-rule victories in both outings.
Against Marked Tree, the Lady Tigers trailed 6-2 after 2 innings, but then erupted for 15 unanswered runs, including 5 in the top of the third frame and 10 in the fourth.
Houston’s prolific offense produced 13 hits in the game.
Junior second baseman Katy Evans had a hot bat in the contest, going 3-for-3 with a home run (a 3-run blast in the top of the fourth inning), a double, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Scheets went 2-for-3 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs and a run, while Kincaid, junior Gracyn McNiell and freshman Ava Koch had 2 hits apiece.
Senior Makinley Aaron and Kincaid both spent time in the pitcher’s circle for the Lady Tigers.
Houston wasted little time in taking control of the matchup with Holcomb, scoring 10 runs in the top of the first inning. After adding 4 more runs in the second frame, the Lady Tigers didn’t bat again.
This time, Houston smacked 14 hits, with eight different players recording at least 1.
Aaron had a big game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a homer (a 3-run shot in the bottom of the first inning), 5 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Evans also had 3 hits, while Scheets went 2-for-2 with two more doubles and senior shortstop Sophia Crites had 2 singles in 2 at-bats.
Koch pitched for Houston, allowing only 1 hit in 3 innings of work.
“On the second day, our gloves were better and our bats really came alive,” Moore said. “It was more like the team I know I have.”
The Blazer Blast featured teams from Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.
“The whole experience was just outstanding,” Moore said. “It’s a massive complex; and that’s another thing, I thought when we got there, we might have been a little shell-shocked. We’re not used to seeing something that big – there’s teams everywhere and games going on everywhere, and it might have taken us a bit to settle in.
“But we did, and it was a great way to kick off our season.”
Houston’s offense amassed 32 hits during the tournament, while the defense produced no errors in either win and 3 in the loss. The pitching held up to the needed extent.
“They’re doing their jobs keeping us in games,” Moore said. “If we keep it close, our bats are usually going to help us find a way to win. But we’re also going to play some defense behind them for the most part – I really believe that. We always preach that there will be days we don’t see the ball very well at the plate, but there’s never an excuse not to play defense.”
The Lady Tigers will be extremely busy this week.
Weather permitting, the schedule includes road games Tuesday at Steelville, Thursday at Mansfield and Friday at Gainesville, followed by the 8-team South Central Association Conference Tournament Saturday at Mountain Grove. Houston (2-1 through last week) is the top seed in the event and will face No. 8 Salem in a first round game at 9 a.m.
The tournament championship game is set for 4:30 p.m.
“Lots of action,” Moore said. “It will help us get a better picture of what our strengths are and where our weaknesses are at, and get a game plan of how to proceed moving forward so we’re firing on all cylinders when district time rolls around.”
The Lady Tigers begin South Central Association conference play with a road game next Thursday against rival Willow Springs.
“There are some big games coming up already,” Moore said. “But our message to the girls is ‘let’s go 1-0 today,’ because that’s the most important thing.”
