The Houston softball team matched Ava in home runs but couldn’t stay even on the scoreboard.
While both SCA teams hit a pair of homers out of Carter Field last Thursday afternoon, the Lady Bears took advantage of HHS mistakes and scored six two-out runs to prevail 8-4.
The loss knocked the Lady Tigers (10-7, 3-2 SCA) out of contention for the conference title while sealing back-to-back SCA championships for Thayer, who beat Houston 1-0 the previous week and is 6-0 in conference play.
HHS out-hit Ava 8-6 and got two-run homers from Lilly Kincaid and Katy Evans. But the Lady Tigers committed the game’s only two errors, gave away five free bases on walks and a hit batter and struggled to close out innings defensively.
“We made some mistakes that cost us,” Lady Tigers coach Conaley Aaron said. “Our youth showed in this game – we made mistakes that cost us 5 runs.”
Jenna Warner, Kincaid and Evans had two hits apiece for Houston. Ashley Gilbert was 1-for-3 with a double. Kincaid, who struck out 7 in the complete game loss, scored twice.
Hunter Struck and MaKenna Coonts homered for Ava, which previously defeated HHS 14-2 in the SCA Tournament on March 28. Struck, who was the complete game winner on the mound, drove in 3 runs for the Lady Bears (14-6, 5-2 SCA).
Houston has five regular-season games, including conference matchups with Willow Springs and Liberty, before the Class 2 District 3 tournament. The seed meeting is Tuesday.
“We’ve got a shot of making a deep district run and even coming out with the championship,” Aaron said. “Everyone knows what’s staring us in the face – playing Salem a third time.”
Behind 3-0 after the top of the first inning, the Lady Tigers closed the gap as Gracyn McNiell walked in front of Kincaid’s homer to center to make it 3-2.
Ava, which never trailed, went ahead 5-2 on Shrunk’s two-out, two-strike homer to center in the fourth.
Evans, the program’s all-time home run leader, hit her sixth of the season to plate Kincaid in the fifth to again trim the deficit to one.
The Lady Bears got a pair of unearned, two-out runs in the sixth and added a final tally on Coonts’ solo homer in the seventh.
“I do like where we’re at. Mentally we’re getting there,” Aaron said. “As long as we can continue to hit and clean up the few mistakes, we’re a very tough team to beat.”
BOX SCORE
Ava 300 202 1 – 8 6 0
Houston 200 020 0 – 4 8 2
HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – McNiell c 3-1-0-0. Kincaid p 4-2-2-2. Evans 2b 4-1-2-2. Gilbert 1b 3-0-1-0. Benoist 3b 3-0-0-0. Koch ss 3-0-0-0. Cook lf 3-0-1-0. Warner dp 2-0-2-0. Clinton cf 3-0-0-0. Totals 28-4-8-2.
2B: Gilbert. HR: Kincaid, Evans.
Losing pitcher: Kincaid