The two teams combined for 24 runs and 23 hits, but in the end the Houston High School softball team beat Liberty 15-9 in the first round of the Class 2 District 4 Tournament Thursday at Mountain Grove.

Leading 6-4, the third-seeded Lady Tigers essentially won the game by scoring 8 runs in the bottom of the third inning. The rally began with a pair of walks with nobody out and included 6 hits and 2 more walks.

With 2 outs in the frame, senior Makinley Aaron and junior Katy Evans smacked back-to-back RBI doubles to put Houston ahead 12-4. After freshman Ava Koch walked, the margin grew to 14-4 when junior Ashley Gilbert banged a 2-run double to left field.

HHS junior Katy Evans gets a high-five from teammate Ashley Gilbert after scoring a run during the Lady Tigers’ win over Liberty in a district tournament game Thursday at Mountain Grove.

The seventh-seeded Lady Eagles crept closer with a run in the top of the fourth inning and then added 4 runs in the top of the sixth, but the Lady Tigers got the final run of the contest when senior Katy Scheets connected on an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, and the game concluded when Liberty went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.

With the score tied 3-all in the second inning, senior Lacey Cavaness hammered a 2-run triple to center field to give the Lady Tigers a lead they would never relinquish.

Houston finished with 12 hits in the matchup with 8 different players getting at least 1. All 9 players who saw action for the Lady Tigers scored at least 1 run, with 6 crossing the plate twice.

HHS senior center fielder Lacey Cavaness prepares to throw the ball back to the infield after retrieving a hit during the Lady Tigers’ win over Liberty in a district tournament game Thursday at Mountain Grove.

Liberty sophomore Delanie Ellett and Houston junior Lilly Kincaid both pitched the entire game. Ellett gave up 13 earned runs, struck out 1 and walked 6, while Kincaid allowed 9 earned runs while fanning 7 and walking 7.

The Lady Eagles recorded 6 stolen bases and 2 errors, while the Lady Tigers swiped 5 bags and had 1 error.

HHS senior Sophia Crites steals second base during the Lady Tigers’ win over Liberty in a district tournament game Thursday at Mountain Grove.

Houston (16-7) will face No. 2 Ava (18-4) in a semifinal game on Monday. Top-seeded Thayer (16-4) and No. 4 Willow Springs (14-9) will meet in the other semifinal.

The district championship game is set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday (May 13).

OFFENSIVE LEADERS

Avg.

Aaron – .525

Evans – .522

Gilbert – .481

Cavaness – .455

Scheets – .397

Hits

Aaron – 42

Evans – 36

Cavaness – 35

Gilbert – 26

Scheets – 25

Home runs

Aaron – 7

Evans – 7

Koch – 2

Scheets – 2

4 tied with 1

RBI

Aaron – 41

Evans – 36

Cavaness – 29

Koch – 28

Scheets – 23

Runs

Aaron – 36

Cavaness – 36

Evans – 36

Kincaid – 32

Koch – 32

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Contact him by phone at 417-967-2000 or by email at ddavison@houstonherald.com.

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