The bats finally came alive in Game 3.
After getting a total of one hit in their first two games Saturday in the Capital City Invitational, the Helias Lady Crusaders totaled 11 in a 4-0 victory against Lutheran South to close the tournament.
Paige Luebbering, Kenley Haslag, Sophia Carr and Rylee Kolb all had two hits for the Crusaders. Carr totaled two RBI.
Lauren Howell was the winning pitcher, tossing a three-hitter. She walked one and struck out nine.
That put a positive end on a tough day for the Lady Crusaders, who start seven freshman and sophomores.
"There are going to be growing pains, we knew that," Helias coach Dan Campbell said Saturday afternoon after the Lady Crusaders dropped a 1-0 decision in six innings to the Centralia Lady Panthers at 63 Diamonds.
"But the younger girls need to know they need to keep battling and they will get through it."
Helias did not have a hit in the contest against Centralia pitcher Madison Preston, who only allowed one walk while recording 15 strikeouts.
"We just have to get back to putting the ball in play and see what happens," Campbell said. "When you strike out, you're not putting any pressure on the defense."
That came after Helias managed just one hit in their first game of the Invitational, a 6-0 loss to Hickman.
"One hit in two games, you are not going to win many softball games doing that," Campbell said. "Especially with the quality of teams we were facing."
The lone run of the game came in the top of the sixth. Preston reached second when a ball hit off the glove of a Helias outfielder. Nicole Duncan then doubled home the run on the ensuing pitch.
Helias got its lone baserunner on a walk with one out in the bottom of the sixth. But a pinch-runner was thrown out stealing.
"What do you have to lose?" Campbell said. "She could have been safe, they might throw the ball away."
Howell, with the help of the Lady Crusader defense, worked out of jams in the second and fifth innings to keep the game scoreless.
In the second, Centralia had the bases loaded with nobody out before Howell got a pair of grounders to get out of it. In the fifth, the Lady Panthers put runners at first and third with one out before Howell got a strikeout and a fly out.
"It really was a pitcher's duel," Campbell said. "We just couldn't do anything offensively."
Helias (12-3) is back in action Tuesday at Southern Boone.
"It's a long season, we're going to face good pitching," Campbell said. "It was a good learning experience."