When Colton Hoelscher fielded a ground ball in front of the mound and threw to first base for the final out of Friday's game against Blue Springs, he should have been celebrating with his teammates immediately afterward.
Hoelscher didn't celebrate, but only because he hadn't realized what he had just finished.
Blair Oaks beat Blue Springs 6-4 in its second pool-play game of the day in the Capital City Invitational at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. Despite allowing four runs, Hoelscher and Blair Oaks starting pitcher Tyler Swehla had combined to pitch a no-hitter against the Wildcats.
"It feels good," Hoelscher said once he learned he had closed a no-hitter.
Blair Oaks coach Travis Henke said it was the weirdest no-hitter he has ever experienced.
"I don't think anybody would have guessed, seeing the score was 6-4, and assumed that we had a no-hitter," he said. "We just talked to (the players) a little bit ago about walks and free passes. That was the biggest issue with today's game, and somehow we got around it."
The Falcons have been very familiar with no-hitters this week. Blair Oaks was two outs shy of completing a no-hitter Tuesday against Southern Boone and was the victim of a no-hitter in Thursday night's 5-1 loss to Helias.
Although Blue Springs was held hitless, the Wildcats had 10 batters reach base. Swehla left the game after 42/3 innings having allowed six walks and hitting two batters. He also struck out eight.
"It was pretty difficult," Swehla said. "I just struggled one inning, and then the next inning I would find it."
The first Blue Springs batter to reach base did so on a dropped third strike in the third inning and would later score the Wildcats' first run of the game.
Blue Springs scored two runs in the second inning on back-to-back passed balls. The Wildcats scored again in the third on a balk call with the bases loaded and added another run in the fifth on a wild pitch.
"We try to preach no free passes, and we're going to have to work on that," Henke said.
Blair Oaks catcher Brenden Brown shook off the passed balls, leading off the top of the third with a single and scoring a run to start a rally and tie the game at 2.
"Hats off to him that he comes in after we had taken him out, gets a hit and starts that rally for us," Henke said.
Blair Oaks added three runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. Ryan Paschal hit an RBI single to center field and Mason Gipe broke the tie with a two-out, two-RBI single to put the Falcons ahead 5-3.
Garrett Welschmeyer added another two-out insurance run in the seventh with an RBI single to score Paschal.
"Ryan McMahon, their pitcher, threw very well. He commands the zone and we did a very good job of scoring runs when we had the opportunity to," Henke said.
Swehla, approaching the MSHSAA pitch-count limit, was pulled with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth. Hoelscher, who pitched three scoreless innings to earn the save earlier in the day in Blair Oaks' 5-0 win against Lutheran: St. Charles, got a strikeout to end the inning.
"It was kind of tough, but I was just looking out for my teammates and trying to get them the W," Hoelscher said of finishing both games.
Hoelscher picked up the save as well against Blue Springs, retiring all seven batters he faced, three by strikeout.
"He threw well that first game and we had talked when Swehla started getting in trouble, we said, 'Hey, let's bring him in, see what he can do,'" Henke said of Hoelscher.
Nolan Hair and Paschal each went 2-for-4 with one single, one double and one RBI, while Welschmeyer had two singles and two RBI.
Lutheran: St. Charles managed just three hits against Blair Oaks in Friday afternoon's game, the first of four pool-play games Friday at Helias' home field. Jason Rackers pitched the first four innings, striking out seven batters, while Hoelscher pitched the last three innings and added one strikeout.
The Falcons also got out of a few jams, turning three double plays in the game.
Blair Oaks never scored more than one run in any inning against the Cougars, failing to score in the second and fourth innings.
"We didn't put up a crooked number, but our offense did a great job of getting one in five different innings," Henke said.
Welschmeyer went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI against Lutheran: St. Charles, while Gipe and Ethan Rackers each had two singles and one RBI.
Blair Oaks (6-1) finished with a 2-1 record in pool play and will play Hickman, ranked No. 6 in Class 5, at 9 a.m. today at Vivion Field in the third-place game of the Invitational.
"After (Thursday) night's game, I wouldn't have guessed we would've came out and played the way we did today," Henke said. "We talked with the guys and said '(Thursday) night's behind us, today's a new day. Let's play baseball like we know how to play and let's get two wins today.'"
Helias also finished 2-1 in pool play, but the Crusaders won the head-to-head tiebreaker against Blair Oaks and will play Jefferson City for the Invitational championship at 11:15 a.m. today at Vivion Field.
Blue Springs will face Fatima for fifth place at 9 a.m. at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex, followed by Lutheran: St. Charles against Eureka for seventh place at 11:15 a.m.