During Friday's pool-play games at the Capital City Invitational, the Blair Oaks Falcons went from bad to better to best.
That may have only resulted in a 1-2 record, which included following a win with a loss, but Blair Oaks coach Mike DeMilia said his team improved throughout the day, despite the results.
"Honestly, the best game was against Hickman," DeMilia said after Blair Oaks lost 12-2 in five innings to Helias in the morning, defeated Russellville 12-2 in the afternoon and fell to the Kewpies 10-4 in the evening at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
The Blair Oaks offense finished with just two hits against Helias, but the Falcons quickly put that behind them with a six-run first inning against Russellville.
Blair Oaks scored all six runs before the first out of the game was recorded, thanks to four Russellville errors.
"They made some errors, but we put some pressure on them too by hitting some balls hard and running the bases right," DeMilia said.
David Dell hit a bases-clearing triple to left field in the inning and scored on Reid Dudenhoeffer's RBI single to make the score 6-0. Dell and Dudenhoeffer combined to have five of Blair Oaks' 11 hits from the Nos. 6 and 7 spots in the batting order.
"David's been swinging the bat really well," DeMilia said. "He hasn't always gotten the results, but he got into that ball."
Dudenhoeffer went 3-for-4 with two singles, a triple and three RBI.
"Reid's a little streaky, but he's a freshman," DeMilia said. " There's going to be some games where he goes off, and that's what he did right here."
Jacob Rademan was the winning pitcher for the Falcons. In five innings, he allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Blair Oaks had already played Helias, the No. 2 team in Class 4, and Russellville, the No. 2 team in Class 2. Hickman, the No. 2 team in Class 5, had to beat the Falcons to clinch a 3-0 record in pool play.
Saving their best for last, the Falcons struck first against the Kewpies with an RBI double by Parker Bax in the top of the first inning.
"Any time you're playing a good team, you have to get off to a good start," DeMilia said. "If you get off to a bad start against Hickman, you're done."
Hickman tied the game in the bottom half of the inning and took the lead for good with two runs in the third.
"Even when we were sitting at 3-1 after three, we were feeling OK," DeMilia said.
The Kewpies extended their lead in the fourth when Coulton Doyle hit a three-run home run to left-center field to make the score 7-1. It was the only home run in six pool-play games at the Legion Complex.
Doyle was 3-for-4 with five RBI, adding a single and a double from the cleanup spot.
Cade Stockman allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out two in three-plus innings to take the loss for the Falcons. Ian Nolph pitched the last three and gave up five runs on four hits and struck out one.
Blair Oaks tried to stage a seventh-inning rally, but the Falcons scored just one run and left the bases loaded to end the game.
"That was very encouraging," DeMilia said. "We have a lot of tough teams ahead."
Bax went 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Kamron Morriss added a pair of singles. All nine Blair Oaks starters in the batting order reached base against the Kewpies.
Blair Oaks trailed Helias 5-2 after four innings, but the Falcons allowed four hits and six walks in the fifth, leading to seven runs to end the game early by run-rule.
"That last inning, we just couldn't throw strikes," DeMilia said. "That's never good."
Dell pitched the first four innings, striking out seven in the loss.
Three games in one day was a first for DeMilia, who used eight different pitchers Friday.
"It's tough on everybody," he said. "We have a lot of young guys that we throw on the mound. It definitely puts a strain on everybody."
Blair Oaks (6-4), ranked No. 6 in Class 3, will play for fifth place at 12:15 p.m. today against Class 4 No. 7 Lutheran: St. Charles at the Legion Complex.