The Houston softball team bounced back from its first conference loss in a big way.
After losing a 1-0 heartbreaker Friday to Thayer in a battle of unbeaten teams in the SCA, the Lady Tigers’ offense came to life Monday in an 18-3 romp of Cabool.
After managing just 3 hits and striking out 17 times at Thayer, HHS flipped those numbers with 15 hits and 2 strikeouts in a five-inning win at Cabool.
“Our bats showed up,” Houston coach Conaley Aaron said. “We did some hitting this weekend focused on driving the ball. The girls really did that.”
Beginning with senior Gracyn McNiell’s triple to lead off the game, the Lady Tigers (10-6, 3-1 SCA) had 11 extra-base hits on their big offensive day. Katy Evans and Natalie Clinton both homered. Lilly Kincaid had 3 doubles and a career-best 5 RBIs. Freshman Ember Green had 3 hits and drove home a pair of runs. McNiell tripled twice and scored 4 times.
PHOTOS: View images of the Lady Tigers’ win over Cabool
Green got the win, allowing just 1 hit in 2 innings while striking out 4 and walking 3. Both runs were unearned. Kincaid threw the final 3 innings and allowed 1 hit and 1 run while striking out 3.
All 9 players in the HHS lineup had at least one hit. Evans, Clinton, Green and Ava Koch had 2 RBIs apiece. Clinton and Claire Benoist both scored 3 times.
Offense struggles at Thayer
With first place in the SCA on the line, Houston managed just 3 hits against hard-throwing Thayer sophomore McKenze Morris in a 1-0 defeat.
Morris won a pitching duel with Kincaid by striking out 17 and walking just 1. The sophomore is the reigning conference player of the year.
“We made Morris look great,” Aaron said. “We chased a lot of balls high in the zone.”
Thayer scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the first inning. Hattie Haynes reached on a one-out walk, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on Brette Tharp’s two-out single through the left side of the infield.
PHOTOS: View images of Lady Tigers’ game at Thayer
Houston’s best scoring chance came in the fifth inning. Sophomore Izzy Cook led off with an infield single and with two outs, McNiell reached on a bunt single and stole second. But with 2 outs and two runners in scoring position, Morris got a popup to end the inning.
“Thayer is a really good team,” Aaron said. “To play them to a 1-0 game – I’m happy with our defense and pitching. But offensively, we struggled.”
Kincaid went the distance on the mound in the loss. She scattered 5 hits and allowed one unearned run while striking out 3 and walking 1.
Ashley Gilbert, the team’s leading hitter at .540, had the Lady Tigers’ other hit. With her bunt single, McNiell has hit safely in 15 of the team’s 16 games. She has a .523 average.
BOX SCORES
Monday’s game
Houston 851 22 – 18 15 1
Cabool 200 01 – 3 2 5
HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – McNiell c 3-4-2-0. Kincaid lf 4-1-3-5. Evans 2b 2-2-1-2. Gilbert 1b 4-0-1-0. Benoist 3b 2-3-1-0. Koch ss 4-1-1-2. Cook rf 4-2-1-1. Green p 4-0-3-2. Clinton cf 4-3-2-2. Totals 31-18-14-14.
2B: Kincaid 3, Koch, Benoist, Clinton. 3B: McNiell 2, Green. HR: Evans, Clinton. SF: Evans. SB: Benoist 3, McNiell 2, Shuman, Kincaid. CS: Gilbert.
Winning pitcher: Green
Friday’s game
Houston 000 000 0 – 0 3 0
Thayer 100 000 x – 1 5 2
HOUSTON (ab-r-h-bi) – McNiell c 3-0-1-0. Kincaid p 3-0-0-0. Evans 2b 2-0-0-0. 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 2-0-0-0. Green rf 1-0-0-0. Clinton cf 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-0-3-0.
SB: McNiell.
Losing pitcher: Kincaid.