O'FALLON - A celebratory mob was formed at the netting behind home plate when the Jefferson City Jays beat Lindbergh in the Class 5 baseball semifinals last year.
After rolling to a 9-2 win against Lee's Summit in Friday night's semifinal game at CarShield Field, there was no big celebration, no dog pile on the mound. It was just the next step for the Jays on their way to what they hope is the team's first state championship since 1989.
"We were about to tear down the backstop after we won," Jays coach Brian Ash said. "It's exciting getting to the championship game. We talked about it, it's a business trip. We're going to enjoy the experiences and everything regardless of what happens, but this is our goal, to get back to this game and here we are. You're going to get the best performance of the year (today)."
They Jays have a second chance, and they don't want a repeat performance of last year when they lost 8-2 to Francis Howell.
"I'd say we just come out not so nervous," senior Gaven Strobel said. "We've been here before. Coming in No. 1, we want to finish No. 1, so we're going to do everything we can to get that."
Jefferson City (30-2) gets its second chance today in the Class 5 championship game against Fort Zumwalt West (24-14), which upset No. 3 Vianney (31-7) 4-3 in Friday's other semifinal game. The title game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Strobel and Grant Wood made sure the Jays would be playing for a championship today. Strobel widened a 1-0 lead to a 5-0 advantage in the fifth inning with a grand slam to right-center field. Strobel kept his excitement to himself as his teammates congratulated him at home plate.
"I was pumped on the inside," he said.
The home run gave Wood a comfortable cushion on the mound, more than he needed.
Wood, who is now 11-0 on the season, shut out the Tigers in the first six innings, only surrendering three hits. He walked his second batter of the game in the seventh and allowed two doubles, including Michael Edgar's ground-rule double hit to right-center field. A second run scored on a passed ball. The Tigers ended up stranding a runner at third as a flyout capped off the Jays' semifinal victory.
Wood's final line included two earned runs and five hits with five strikeouts. The Jays' No. 2 pitcher made quick outs for much of the game, allowing him to go the distance to save the rest of Jefferson City's arms for today.
Wood went perfect through three before Zavian Hill doubled to left-center with one out in the fourth. A lineout to second baseman Hayden Hirschvogel and a strikeout stranded Hill at second.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases in the fifth, but no damage was done as a groundout to second kept the Jays' 5-0 lead intact.
Jefferson City added to its advantage with four runs in the seventh. Gunnar See and Brandon Williams walked before Hirschvogel reached on an error. See would score on a wild pitch and Tyler Bise delivered his third hit to center field just in front of a diving outfielder to score two more runs. Bise later scored when Wood reached on a fielder's choice. That followed a pair of walks.
The 9-0 lead was useful for a tiring Wood.
"I felt really good all game," Wood said. "I was starting to tire out towards the end of the game and I didn't have my best stuff at the end."
All nine Jays reached base, led by Bise's three hits form the No. 9 spot.
"I hope that gives us some confidence," Ash said. " Anytime those guys can give us some production down there it takes a lot of pressure off everybody else."
Bise's leadoff single in the fifth helped set up Strobel's slam. Jacob Weirich followed with an infield single, reaching the bag just before the throw. Bodenstab loaded the bases as the pitcher slipped after fielding a bunt and then Wood walked to get Jefferson City on the board.
Strobel's homer followed.
"That's what any hitter wants in a tight game like that," Strobel said about coming up with the bases loaded. "I was just looking for something to drive to get out to the outfield. As soon as I hit it, I wasn't sure. I was running hard, I knew it was going to be at least a double. As soon as I saw the right fielder let up, I knew it was gone."
Lee's Summit committed three errors while the Jays' defense was clean all night.
"Our defense was just outstanding," Ash said. " Any time you get in the state tournament, it seems like teams will make some errors."
Jefferson City's defense will try to support Weirich as the senior ace attempts to win his 10th game of the season in today's title game.
"There's nobody else in the entire state I'd rather have going in this game," Ash said.
Weirich will be facing a Fort Zumwalt West lineup that recorded eight hits Friday off Vianney's Luke Mann, who finishes his season with an 8-2 record on the mound.
The Golden Griffins and Jaguars went back and forth Friday as the Jags led 1-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, but Vianney's Thomas Kraus tripled in two runs in the fifth. Vianney added a run on a single.
Jacob Verschore tied it at 3 in the bottom half with a two-run homer to right-center.
Patrick Connor singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth for the Jaguars.
Michael Cessna got a no-decision as he allowed one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. Drew Strohm was the winning pitcher as he threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.