Lady Tigers win district championship

Trailing 3-2 with 2 outs and no one on base in the bottom of the seventh inning, the top-seeded Houston High School softball team rallied to score 2 runs and pulled off an incredible victory of 4-3 over No. 3 West County in the championship game of the Class 2 District 3 tournament Thursday in Potosi.

After the first two batters were struck out, junior Lacey Cavaness reached base on an error and sophomore Lilly Kincaid hit a single to center field to put runners on first and third. . Junior third baseman Makinley Aaron then stepped up to the plate and delivered the first pitch he saw at bat down the left field line for a 2-run double, sparking a wild celebration among the players, coaches and Houston fans. .

The district crown is the third in a row for the HHS softball program.

“They’re all special,” HHS head coach Jim Moore said, “but this one is really special.”

Before the late rally, Houston’s only runs were scored in a strange sequence in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Aaron and senior first baseman Kelsey Pritchett both reached base on errors to start the frame, Lady Bulldogs junior pitcher Grace Barton struck out the next three batters.

But the third out didn’t result in the third out, as the catcher dropped the ball on the third out to HHS junior Sophia Crites. After two throwing errors, Crites had safely reached first base and Aaron and Pritchett scored to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Neither team scored again until the top of the sixth inning, when West County put runners on base with a walk and a single, then tied the game on a 2-run triple in the center field by senior second baseman Natalie Womack. Before the end of the inning, the Lady Bulldogs took the lead when Womack scored on an error.

Kincaid went the distance in the pitcher’s circle for Houston and scattered 5 hits while striking out 2 and walking 2. Barton also pitched a complete game, allowing 6 hits while fanning 10 and issuing no no walks.

Kincaid went 3-for-4 at the plate in the contest and scored the winning run, while Aaron went 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored. Her triple came with 2 outs in the fifth inning, but she found herself stranded at third base after a pop-up.

The Lady Bulldogs committed 5 errors in the contest, while the Lady Tigers committed 3.

The win improved Houston’s overall record to 19-3, with 19 wins setting a new record for the program. The Lady Tigers also won the South Central Association championship this season with a flawless 7-0 run in conference play.

Tears and hugs were plentiful in the aftermath of the victory, as Houston players and their family members gathered on the field at the Trojan Sports Complex.

Pritchett – the Lady Tigers’ only senior – has the rare status of playing a significant role on three district championship softball teams.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “We worked very hard this year. We had a lot of young girls and I don’t think a lot of people expected that. We work very well as a family; everyone gets back up and there was no bad moment.

Aaron leads the team in several offensive categories this season, including batting average, hits and RBIs. She has also been a virtual void at third base and leads the team in assists while committing just one error.

“We work as a team,” she says, “and we go really well together. We really encourage each other and say, “Come on, you’ve got the next play.” »

Kincaid has only been pitching for a few years and has used a masterful combination of speed and location to keep West County hitters off balance.

“Our pitcher was a huge asset to our team today,” Aaron said.

Houston reached the final game of the 9-team district tournament by defeating No. 8 Bourbon in the first round and beating No. 4 Potosi in the semifinals, while West County (of Park Hills) got there by defeating No. 6 Salem and ahead of No. 2 Steelville.

During Moore’s seven-year tenure at the helm of HHS softball, the Lady Tigers won three district championships and three conference championships.

“I’m proud of all my teams,” Moore said, “but this is the true definition of a team. They help each other, help each other, and lean on each other – and they compete. They play 7 tough rounds and see what happens.

Houston will play on the road Tuesday, May 14 against District 4 champion Willow Springs in the quarterfinals of the Class 2 state tournament. The winner of the contest will advance to the Class 2 Final Four.