Mexico belts four HRs in win against Helias

ASHLAND, Mo. - It was a powerful performance by the Mexico Lady Bulldogs.

Mexico banged four home runs Saturday afternoon in its way to a 9-2 victory against Helias in the Class 3 District 8 Tournament title game at Southern Boone.

"They have a great lineup, we knew what we were facing," Helias coach Dan Campbell said. "They got some girls that can flat-out hit."

The first two homers came from the first two batters in the bottom of the second inning.

Hayley Mills led off and worked the count to 3-2 before lofting a fly ball that just cleared the fence in left field to give Mexico the lead. Abby Oetting followed with her own home run on a 3-2 pitch which banged off the foul pole in left.

The Lady Crusaders cut the deficit in half in the top of the third.

Taylor Woehr led off with a walk. She stole second and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring one out later on a single by Abbi Pringer.

Pringer was eventually stranded at second base. Helias stranded four runners in the first three innings, including three in scoring position.

"If we could have gotten another hit or two when it was still within reach, maybe things would have been different," Campbell said. "Get one up the air and out. But it didn't happen for us today."

Mexico began to pull away in the bottom of the third. Reghan Smith finished an 11-pitch at-bat with a walk. Two outs later, she moved to second on a walk to Mills before Oetting blasted her second home run of the game. The shot to left-center made it 5-1.

"With the wind blowing out, we were hoping to do that ourselves," Campbell said. "But we didn't put the ball in play and they did."

After a scoreless fourth inning, Mexico put the game away in the fifth. A walk and a single had runners at the corners with nobody out before an error on a pickoff attempt brought home the runner from third to make it 6-1.

One out later, Oetting was intentionally walked before Logan Blevins hit a three-run home run to make it 9-1.

That was the end of the day for Helias starter Lauren Howell. She pitched 41/3 innings, allowing nine runs on six hits and five walks while striking out eight.

Alexa Rehmeier pitched the final 12/3 innings, striking out three.

Helias got its final run in the sixth. Pringer led off with a walk and moved to second when Riley Heckenkamp was hit by a pitch. Rylee Kolb then walked to load the bases with nobody out.

After a strikeout, Elle Meyer was hit by a pitch to score Pringer. Mexico starter Paytence Lawson-Holman then got out of the inning with consecutive strikeouts.

Pringer and Heckenkamp had consecutive two-out singles in the seventh for the Lady Crusaders before a popout to short ended the game.

"They just outplayed us today," Campbell said. "It wasn't a lack of effort, I'm proud of the way the girls battled. We never quit."

Lawson-Holman went the distance to get the win. She allowed two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out 11.

Nine runs are the most Helias allowed in a game this season. The previous high came in a 10-8 win against Hickman in late September.

Helias (20-6) loses four seniors - Sara Williams, Tori Hartman, Sophia Carr and Pringer.

"They've all worked very hard all four years and we're really going to miss their leadership," Campbell said.

Mexico (23-4) advances to host St. Dominic (14-8) in the sectional round Wednesday.