Having already clinched the title in their pool in the Capital City Invitational, the Helias Crusaders entered Friday night's game against the Lutheran St. Charles Cougars looking to carry that momentum into today's title game.
It didn't happen.
The Crusaders left nine runners on base, including seven in scoring position, in dropping a 2-1 decision to the Cougars in eight innings at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
"We didn't do our job at the plate," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "We deserved to lose this game."
The Crusaders left baserunners in each of the first four innings before getting on the board in the fifth to tie the game at 1.
Zach Stiles reached on a fielder's choice and stole second with one out. After a fly out, Matt Dampf reached on an error as Stiles came around to score.
The Crusaders had a chance to take the lead in the seventh after singles had runners at first and second with one out. But a 3-6-1 double play ended that threat. In the eighth, Helias had a runner at second with two outs before a grounder to first ended the inning.
"If you do the right things in the game, you are rewarded," Wyrick said. "But we didn't do the little things we needed to do to push across another run or two that would have won us this game."
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out walk, a wild pitch and an RBI single.
In the eighth, a walk and an error put runners at first and second. They advanced a base on a wild pitch before scoring on another wild pitch to end it.
Drew Boessen took the loss for the Crusaders. He worked seven-plus innings before being pulled by the pitch-count rule, giving up five hits and three walks while striking out seven.
"Drew pitched good enough for us to win this game," Wyrick said.
Nick Brandt relieved Boessen in the eighth.
Helias (3-4), who will meet Jefferson City (10-1) for the title at 11:15 a.m. today at Vivion Field, clinched a spot in the title game by rallying for a 10-7 win Friday afternoon against Blue Springs.
"We didn't quit," Wyrick said. "It would have been easy to roll over, but we put together some good at-bats."
With the game tied at 2 in the top of the sixth, a two-out single by Trevor Austin drove home Stiles to give Helias a one-run lead.
Blue Springs then batted around in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times to take a 7-3 advantage.
The Crusaders answered with a seven-run seventh. Helias loaded the bases with nobody out before Austin Fennewald singled home a run to make it 7-4. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Dylan Hood ripped a single down the line in left to plate two Crusaders and cut the deficit to one.
"We were patient and when the ball was in the strike zone, we put it in play," Wyrick said.
Stiles then belted a two-run double to deep left-center to give Helias the lead at 8-7. After a walk to Austin, Dampf singled home Stiles to make it 9-7. Austin scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Buschjost for the final run of the inning.
"We had a plan going into the seventh, we stuck with it, didn't deviate from it and good things happened," Wyrick said. "Hopefully we learned to trust and that will carry over."
Austin retired the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.
Helias took the lead on a two-run single by Boessen with two outs in the third. Blue Springs tied with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Jacob Hartman was the winner in relief of Connor McKenna. McKenna pitched 51/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two. After the first five Wildcats he faced reached base in the sixth, Hartman got a double play to end the inning.
"Connor's curve was working, he made pitches when he had to," Wyrick said.
Dampf, Parker Schnieders and Fennewald all had two hits in a 12-hit Helias attack.
Jefferson City defeated Helias 3-0 on March 31.