Houston is on a ten-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Ava is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Tigers will host the Bears at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Ava took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Houston, who comes in off a win.
Houston will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Cabool on Monday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 18-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.

Ember Green
| 04/20/26 @ Cabool | 4 |
| 03/26/26 vs Mansfield | 3 |
| 03/26/26 vs Mansfield | 3 |
| 03/24/26 vs Steelville | 7 |
Lilly Kincaid and Ember Green made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Kincaid pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Meanwhile, Green pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March. At the plate, Kincaid went 3-for-4 with five RBI, three doubles, and one stolen base, while Green went 3-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, Gracyn McNiell was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, two triples, and one stolen base. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Claire Benoist was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, Ava faced Thayer in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Bears fell just short of the Bobcats by a score of 2-1.
Houston's victory bumped their record up to 10-2. As for Ava, their loss dropped their record down to 10-6.
Houston suffered a grim 14-2 defeat to Ava in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.