Quite simply, it was the perfect way to go into the postseason.
The Helias baseball team capped off its regular-season schedule Thursday in fine fashion, upsetting the state's eighth-ranked team in Class 5.
The Crusaders' 3-2 win against Sedalia Smith-Cotton at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex gives them a head of steam going into district play next week.
"It's a big win," Helias head coach Chris Wyrick said. "Now we've got to keep it going. We're feeling good, we've got confidence. We've got to keep it going."
Helias, which got a first-round bye as the second seed in the Class 4 District 10 Tournament at School of the Osage, is now off until it plays at 6:30 p.m. Monday against either third-seeded Southern Boone or sixth-seeded Osage.
"Hopefully we'll have a good practice (today), then we'll take Saturday off, let them relax, and then come back Sunday and get ready for whoever we play Monday," Wyrick said.
Smith-Cotton came into the contest with a record of 26-4 thanks in large part to a high-octane offense. But Helias' Josiah Imhoff twirled a complete-game seven-hitter and struck out five while walking just one to get the win.
"To beat a team like them, and to hold them to two runs on seven hits when they're averaging almost nine runs a game, is huge," Wyrick said. "Their team batting average is up in the .360 or .370 range. All I've heard the last half of the season building up to this game is how they can swing it, and they can."
Wyrick said it was a big-time effort from Imhoff in his first start after finding out Lincoln University, where Imhoff had signed a letter of intent to play next season, is going to cut its program after this school year.
"For Josiah to pitch the way he pitched, and to get out of some of the jams he did, was great," Wyrick said. "This was a big game for him after what happened over at Lincoln. He really needed this game, in more ways than one."
Perhaps the key to the game for Imhoff came in the very first inning. After walking the first batter on four pitches and giving up a hit to the next batter, he eventually stranded runners at second and third without allowing a run.
"There's always a little bit of jitters in the first inning," Imhoff said. "I was just trying to pitch through that and get command of my fastball, which sets up the rest of my pitches."
Wyrick said Imhoff showed great composure in that inning.
"Early in the season, he would have given up a couple runs," Wyrick said. "But if it's possible for a senior to still mature, he's matured a lot throughout the season. He's been in some tough spots and he's really gained confidence from those situations."
Smith-Cotton eventually got to Imhoff in the third inning, when it scored all of its runs on three hits.
But Helias quickly answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning to keep things close. Ryan Gartner led off with a double, got sacrificed to third by Nick Carr and scored on a groundout by Nolan Sachse.
That inning helped chase Smith-Cotton starter Chase Plymell, and the first two innings against reliever Gavin Jones saw the Crusaders go down 1-2-3 both times.
But it was a different story in the bottom of the sixth, as the first three Helias batters came up with hits. Drew Boessen rapped a single, Alex Faddoul followed with a double and Ryan Graessle looped a single down the first-base line to score the tying and go-ahead runs.
"I was thinking all I had to do was hit it to the right side of the field to get my guy in from third base, and I just got a hold of it," Graessle said. "Somehow it landed and we got two runs out of it."
Graessle said it helped to come to the plate after Boessen and Faddoul got hits.
"It felt great - it gave me the confidence to do what I needed to do," he said.
There was no doubt Imhoff, who had thrown 86 pitches through the first six innings, was coming out for the final frame.
"My arm felt pretty good," he said. "I didn't strike many out, but my teammates made a lot of plays and I'm thankful for that. I had a lot of pitches working, but my cutter and my changeup were really good."
The Tigers got the leadoff batter on thanks to a hit and eventually had runners at first and second with two outs, but Imhoff got a groundout to end it.
"I really wanted that win," Imhoff said. "I know a lot of those (Sedalia) guys and I know their coach, so it was pretty neat to win it like that."
Faddoul ended up with two hits to lead Helias (18-8), while Baxter Mays had three of Smith-Cotton's seven hits.