The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons have had to clear some hurdles to reach the state softball Final Four.
They cleared a couple of those hurdles last week, starting with a 4-0 win against Fatima in the Class 2 sectional round. The Lady Comets ended the Lady Falcons' season in 2014 and 2015, and Blair Oaks relished at the chance to return the favor.
"I think those are huge. They're called hurdles for a reason," Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost said. "Some hurdles are small, some hurdles are big. Getting past Fatima is a big hurdle.
"It lets your team see that they've accomplished and got past a very big hurdle, but yet they know that there's more tough hurdles ahead of them."
Blair Oaks then edged Pleasant Hope 1-0 in the quarterfinals last Saturday to advance to the Final Four and clear another hurdle.
Heading to the semifinals for the first time since 2013, Blair Oaks (21-8) will face Jefferson: Festus (19-8) at 11 a.m. today at Killian Sport Complex in Springfield.
The Lady Blue Jays have won their district tournament four of the past five years, but this season is their first time advancing past the state sectionals. Jefferson: Festus defeated St. Pius X: Festus 4-0 in the sectional round and followed that with a 1-0 win against Willow Springs in the quarterfinals last Saturday.
Jefferson: Festus is led by senior pitcher Sarah Handrahan, who has recorded 270 strikeouts in 127 innings pitched, averaging better than two strikeouts per inning.
Handrahan also lead the Lady Blue Jays with a .545 batting average and 39 RBI. She has accounted for all five Jefferson: Festus home runs this season.
"Not only is she probably their best defense, but she's also their best offense as well," Buschjost said. "Dealing with her when she's in the pitching circle, as well as when she's at the plate, will be a big challenge."
Freshman shortstop Abigail Chipps is also hitting better than .500 for the Lady Blue Jays. Chipps is batting .524 this season with team-highs of 36 stolen bases and 43 hits.
Buschjost said senior catcher Nicole Otto has worked on getting a quick release in practice this week, in case Chipps has the opportunity to steal a base in the semifinal game.
"They certainly do have someone who has more steals than our team combined, by far," Buschjost said. "It may be a type of speed that the best defense to that would be to keep her off the bases."
Only one other player for Jefferson: Festus - sophomore catcher Danielle Young - is hitting above .300. The Lady Blue Jays have a .276 team batting average.
Blair Oaks, on the other hand, has a .350 team batting average, with all starters boasting at least a .300 batting average. Junior shortstop Sydney Wilde is tied with junior right fielder/designated player Hannah Schroeder for the team lead with a .423 batting average, but Wilde also has six home runs and 18 RBI to lead the Lady Falcons.
Buschjost said the balance of power throughout Blair Oaks' starting lineup makes it more difficult for teams to scout and key in on only a few players.
"We have some pretty good batting averages, which is a true reflection of the type of hitters we have, one through nine," Buschjost said. "I don't think for us it's just dealing with that No. 3 hitter or the leadoff hitter or whoever. They have to take our entire team as a whole and feel like it's going to be pretty tough all the way through."
The pitching load for Blair Oaks has been shared by senior Megan Mitchem and sophomore Makenna Kliethermes. Mitchem, a left-hander who pitched against Fatima in the sectionals, has an 8-3 record with a 2.96 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Kliethermes, a right-hander who pitched in the quarterfinals against Pleasant Hope, has a 13-5 record with a 1.28 ERA and 149 strikeouts.
"The scenario we had toward the end of the season and in the postseason, it was a different look than most players thought they would see," Buschjost said of using two pitchers. "What it did was put the spotlight on the entire team and not just one individual."
Kliethermes missed a two-week stretch during the regular season and postseason with an arm injury, but Buschjost said she will get the start in the circle for today's semifinal.
Runs could be a premium in today's matchup. Three of the four Class 2 quarterfinal games were shutouts, and Blair Oaks had to manufacture its run in the fifth inning to beat Pleasant Hope.
Jefferson: Festus has shut out opponents in its past five games, while Blair Oaks has outscored opponents 37-3 during the same span.
"At this stage, just getting a run maybe be very difficult," Buschjost said. "There were a lot of 1-0 games in the quarterfinals. Whoever gets that one run early, it could be a huge advantage for them."
Notes: Blair Oaks, which has won 11 straight district titles, is making its eighth appearance in the state semifinals. Jefferson: Festus is appearing in the Final Four for the first time. Centralia (27-1) and Lathrop (26-2) will play at 11 a.m. today in the other Class 2 semifinal. The winners of the two semifinal games will play for the state title at noon Saturday, while the semifinal losers will play in the third-place game at 3 p.m. today. Lathrop is the defending Class 2 champion, defeating Fatima 10-3 in the championship game.