The Helias Crusaders weren't shy about bringing the power to Friday night's Jamboree at Vivion Field.
"I'll take that aggressiveness any day," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "Even in the first inning of the first game, we hit three or four balls hard that inning."
The Crusaders showcased some dead-pull hitting against Blair Oaks in their first of three contests at the Jamboree. Players were smashing line drives out of play along the left-field foul line.
Drew Boessen put the Crusaders on the board with an RBI single in the first inning. He also had one of three Helias hits in a four-run third inning. The Crusaders won 5-2.
Helias and Fatima played to a tie at 5 in the Crusaders' next scrimmage. Freshman Trevor Austin started the scoring with a two-run home run to left field in the first.
"He pulled his hands inside the ball and kept it fair," Wyrick said. "He's a talent. He's going to be fun to watch the next four years."
Helias fell behind after Fatima scored four runs in the top of the third, but the Crusaders answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score. Koby Kerr hit a two-run single and Brandon Ferguson followed with an RBI single.
"That was really good to see," Wyrick said of the rally. "We don't have a lot of guys who can just step up there and mash the ball. We're going to have to compete in every at-bat."
Wyrick said there were ample opportunities to have teaching moments with his players in their first opportunity this season to face other teams.
"I think we get so locked in to playing against ourselves in intra-squad games, it opens our eyes a little bit," Wyrick said. "It always good to have that."
Helias also brought the power to the pitcher's mound. Ferguson struck out the side in his inning of work against Blair Oaks and the Crusaders recorded eight of their nine outs against Fatima via strikeout.
The Crusaders topped Jefferson City 8-2 in the final scrimmage of the Jamboree.
Helias opens the season March 21 at Fatima.