The Houston softball team plays Thayer in the Class 2 state quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Hugh Wheeler Baseball & Softball Complex in Thayer. The winner advances to the final four.
Follow this post for live play-by-play from the game:
Season ends
B7 – Morris gets groundout, strikeout and popout. Thayer 10-2.
Thayer adds three
T7 – Pair of hit batters and walk lead to 3 more runs for Lady Bobcats. Houston has walked 6 and hit 5 batters. Thayer 10-2.
Lady Tigers plate one
B6 – After error and walk, Gilbert ends 11-pitch at-bat with RBI single. Morris limits damage with strikeout, popout and strikeout. Morris has fanned 9. Thayer 7-2.
Koch works around walks
T6 – Koch works around pair of walks by getting fly out to Clinton in center. Thayer 7-1.
Scoreless fifth
B5 – McNiell reaches on bunt single with two outs but thrown out stealing on next pitch. Thayer 7-1.
Two strike damage
T5 – Thayer gets 3 straight hits on 0-2 counts to plate pair of runs and knock Kincaid out of game. Koch enters in relief. Error plates Thayer’s third unearned run. Thayer 7-1.
Snag ends inning
B4 – Cook hits bullet at Morris that she snags in self defense to end 1-2-3 inning. Both teams have 4 hits. Houston has walked 3, hit 2 and committed 2 errors. Thayer 4-1.
Walk, error plate run
T4 – Two out walk and error – Houston’s second of the game – plate unearned run. Thayer 4-1.
HHS on board
B3 – McNiell leads off with bloop double but thrown out at plate on Kincaid single. Evans groundout brings Kincaid home for first Houston run. Thayer 3-1.
First 1-2-3 inning
T3 – Kincaid gets strikeout, groundout and groundout to retire all three batters she faces. Thayer 3-0.
Koch triples, stranded
B2 – Koch leads off inning with triple to left-center but is left there as Morris gets three consecutive strikeouts. Thayer 3-0.
Pair stranded
T2 – Kincaid works around trouble with a groundout to third to strand two runners on base. Thayer 3-0.
Scoreless first for HHS
B2 – McNiell leads off with single up the middle and Gilbert walks with two outs but both are left stranded. Thayer 3-0.
Thayer strikes first
T1 – The visitors after a coin flip, Thayer takes advantage of a walk and hit batter to score twice. Morris and Tharp with consecutive RBI hits. Houston gets runner at plate to limit damage but two-out hit from Louge brings home third run. Thayer 3-0.
Warmups over, first pitch next
Today’s HHS lineup
- Gracyn McNiell c
- Lilly Kincaid p
- Katy Evans 2b
- Ashley Gilbert 1b
- Claire Benoist 3b
- Ava Koch ss
- Izzy Cook lf
- Jenna Warner dp
- Natalie Clinton cf
- Ember Green flex
Lady Tigers playoff history
The Houston softball team has won five district championships. The previous four times, the Lady Tigers lost their next game. Here’s a look at the history:
- 2012: Lost to Hartville, 6-2
- 2022: Lost to Park Hills Central, 18-3
- 2023: Lost to Ava, 7-2
- 2024: Lost to Willow Springs, 10-2
Brent Hall coached the first title team. Jim Moore led the back-to-back-to-back championships. This year’s team is under the direction of first-year coach Conaley Aaron.