St. Elizabeth blanks Weaubleau in Class 1 sectional

The St. Elizabeth Hornets huddle after Monday's 10-0 win against the Weaubleau Tigers in Class 1 sectional action in St. Elizabeth. (Tom Rackers/News Tribune)
The St. Elizabeth Hornets huddle after Monday's 10-0 win against the Weaubleau Tigers in Class 1 sectional action in St. Elizabeth. (Tom Rackers/News Tribune)

ST. ELIZABETH -- Two outs, zero problems.

The St. Elizabeth Hornets scored nine two-out runs Monday on their way to a 10-0 victory against the Weaubleau Tigers in a Class 1 baseball sectional.

“Today was one of our best games all season long, start to finish,” St. Elizabeth coach Caleb Heckemeyer said. “We hit the ball well one through nine.”

With the win, third-ranked St. Elizabeth (15-6) advances to take on unranked Billings (15-10) in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Billings defeated Liberal 17-7 in six innings to win its sectional game Monday. The quarterfinal will be played at Billings, with the start time yet to be announced.

“We always talk when the postseason starts, it takes six wins to win state, four to get to the Final Four,” Heckemeyer said. “We’ve got three so far.”

Weaubleau drew a pair of walks and had runners at first and second with one out in the first. But St. Elizabeth starter Caleb Oligschlaeger got a pop out and an out stealing to get out of the inning.

Oligschlaeger led off the bottom of the first and was hit by a pitch. One out later, Brock Lucas drilled a high pitch to right field that one-hopped the fence for a triple to score Oligschlaeger.

One out later, Levi Holtmeyer singled to center to score Lucas to make it 2-0.

“Getting that lead put us more at ease,” Heckemeyer said.

Weaubleau squandered a one-out double in the top of the second when Oligschlaeger ended the inning with consecutive strikeouts.

Noah Chipman led off the bottom of the inning with a first-pitch single to center. The next two Hornets struck out before Oligschlaeger triped to right to score Chipman.

Isaac Green followed with a single to score Oligschlaeger before Lucas hit his second triple in two innings, this one to center, to make it 5-0.

“Our hitters stayed back, had some good at-bats and we got some runs early,” Heckemeyer said. “They just stayed back and went with the pitch.”

Oligschlaeger, who threw 41 pitches in the first two innings, allowed a walk and struck out three Weaubleau batters in the third. The Hornets went down in order for the only time in game in the bottom of the inning.

The Tigers got a leadoff walk to start their half of the fourth, but a 4-6-3 double play and a strikeout ended the inning.

“(Oligschlaeger) wasn’t locked-in from the get-go, but I knew by the third or fourth inning he would settle in and take over,” Heckemeyer said. “And that’s what happened.”

St. Elizabeth plated three runs in the bottom of the inning. After two outs, Oligschlaeger and Green hit consecutive singles before Lucas walked to load the bases.

Jace Kesel then doubled to left-center to clear the bases.

Weaubleau got a runner on in the top of the fifth on an error, but Oligschlaeger recorded three strikeouts in an 11-pitch inning.

“Once he got locked-in, he was good,” Heckemeyer said.

Oligschlaeger allowed just one hit and three walks while recording 10 strikeouts.

The Hornets ended the game by run-rule in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and nobody one, Blake Wobbe and Carter Otto, the No. 8 and 9 batters in the order, singled to put runners at first and second.

Oligschlaeger followed with a single to score Wobbe to make it 9-0. Green then drew a walk and when ball four got past the Weaubleau catcher, Otto sprinted home with the game-ending run.

St. Elizabeth finished with 12 hits in the game, with eight Hornets getting at least one.

“The middle and bottom of the lineup will show us if we’re going to succeed the rest of the way,” Heckemeyer said. “We have to have one through nine helping each other out,” Heckemeyer said.

Oligschlaeger had three hits and scored three times while totaling two RBI from the leadoff spot.

It was the first time Weaubleau (18-4), which was averaging 9.6 runs per game, has been shut out this season.