The Helias Lady Crusaders were pressured several times by the Southern Boone Lady Eagles.
Helias handled the pressure well, defeating Southern Boone 7-3 on Tuesday at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
The victory set the Lady Crusaders up for the No. 1 seed in the Class 3 District 9 bracket, which the Lady Eagles host next month.
"These games are good," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "One, we should have the No. 1 seed in the district, and that's important for matchups. Two, have somebody test us, and see how we respond.
"They battled through it, came out with a big win."
The Lady Crusaders are a combined 4-0 against district foes Blair Oaks, Fulton and Southern Boone. Helias plays Capital City next month and does not play Eldon in the regular season.
The Lady Eagles (10-2) did damage first, scoring in the top of the first. Alexa Rehmeier looked to have struck out the side, but Mariah Prince reached on a dropped third strike, and three pitches later Zoey DeHaas doubled just inside the third-base bag, one of just four hits Rehmeier allowed, and the only extra-base hit.
But the Lady Crusaders (13-3) came right back in the bottom of the inning. Taylor Woehr led off with a walk, and went first-to-third on Holly Hentges' sacrifice bunt. Hentges was safe on a high throw, stole second, and both came in on a Kenley Haslag single to left.
Helias added four more in the second. Riley Heckenkamp singled to lead off, Paige Shaffer reached on an infield hit, and an Abigale Hoelscher tapper down the first-base line did not generate an out because Heckenkamp's courtesy runner, Livia Bloomer, beat the throw to third.
Ella Meyer drove in a run with an infield hit as Bloomer again beat the throw home, Woehr hit a sacrifice fly to right that advanced all three runners, and Rylee Kolb drove in two with a single to right-center.
"Maybe it's the girls lower in the order that get us going," Wyrick said. "Those two runs in the bottom of the first were huge for us to answer. That was a big hit by Kenley. That second inning, I don't know, maybe it's just everybody relaxes once we score. But I'd like to see it continue."
Kolb and Haslag each finished with two RBI.
Rehmeier threw a complete game, striking out 15 and allowing zero earned runs. Along with the four hits, she walked one and hit one batter.
Southern Boone's first two batters reached to start the fourth inning, and both advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch.
Prince scored on a dropped third strike as Jordyn Loutzenhiser-Sapp reached safely, and the Helias defense allowed another run on a double steal.
"I thought Alexa, she didn't have her great stuff tonight, but she battled through it," Wyrick said. "She battled, battled the entire time to get us through those seven innings. It was good to see out of her."
Rehmeier feasted on the inside edge of the plate against right-handed batters in the early innings, and her drop and screwball were both effective as put-away pitches, but her chemistry with Heckenkamp behind the plate wasn't perfect.
Heckenkamp made her share of plays, catching two popups behind home with her catcher's mask still on, but eight of Rehmeier's 15 strikeouts were dropped third strikes, and the hitter reached on two of them.
"I don't know what was going on. Her ball moves," Wyrick said. "She doesn't throw anything that's straight. That's probably what it was, a little late movement. And Riley, she's solid, so that's why it was a little surprising at times."
Her counterpart in the circle, Camryn Schaller, gave up just five hits in six innings of work, walking three and striking out four.
The Lady Crusaders play Thursday at Mexico and host St. Teresa's Academy at 1 p.m. Saturday.