CAMDENTON -- It was the perfect time for her first home run of the season.
Ava Morris hit a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday to break a tie at 2 as the Helias Lady Crusaders defeated the Camdenton Lady Lakers 4-2 in the Class 4 softball quarterfinals.
“I was struggling with everything high, so was looking for something down, either inside or outside,” Morris said. “Just stay off the high ball.”
With the win, Helias (27-6) advances to next Thursday’s semifinal game against Washington (33-3). Washington advanced with a 7-2 quarterfinal win Wednesday against Cape Girardeau: Notre Dame.
Game time is noon at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
“We’ve been working for this all year,” Morris said. “We’ve taken it one game at a time, but to finally know that we’re going is so exciting.”
Morris drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field. The junior center fielder started the year in the cleanup spot in the lineup, but struggles at the plate saw her drop in the order.
But hard work saw Morris find her way back to the cleanup spot in the final regular-season game and the three district games.
“Batting practice for Ava has just been laser, laser, laser,” Helias coach Kelly Fick said. “She’s put in a lot of extra work to get her swing back and she came through tonight.
“I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Helias starting pitcher Molly Berkey retired Camdenton in order on just seven pitches in the top of the first. The Lady Crusaders, the home team on the scoreboard, got on the board in the bottom of the inning.
After the first two Lady Crusaders were retired, Kendyll Rackers lined a pitch over the fence in center to give Helias a 1-0 lead. It’s the eighth home run of the season and second in the playoffs for Rackers, who homered in Saturday’s district tournament title game.
“Kendyll has great power to the middle of the field,” Fick said. “To get a run early helped everybody settle in, to do that in the playoffs is huge.”
Camdenton scored two runs in the top of the third without getting a hit. A leadoff walk and a throwing error to first on a ball hit back to the circle put the Lady Lakers at the corners with nobody out.
“That’s something I’ve struggled with all season,” Berkey said. “It’s just a mental error, it happens, it’s happened before this season, we don’t let that defeat us, we move on.”
A stolen base put runners at second and third before Berkey got a strikeout for the first out of the inning. With Cayden VonSande at the plate, a wild pitch brought home a run to tie it at 1. VonSande then gave the Lady Lakers the lead with a grounder to first.
“There have been several times this season where we faced some adversity and we battled through it,” Fick said. “It’s a testament to the resilience of this group, I know we would be comfortable playing in that kind of environment. They didn’t waver.”
Berkey, who got a strikeout to end the inning, wasn’t concerned the Lady Crusaders were trailing.
“I was never worried about it,” Berkey said. “We keep staying positive.”
The Lady Crusaders answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, Jayli Howell led off with a walk and stole second. One out later, Berkey hit a double to left field to score Howell to tie it at 2.
The teams combined for just one baserunner in the fourth and fifth innings. The Lady Lakers got their first hit of the game with two outs in the sixth -- an infield single by Zoe Lockhert -- before Berkey got her 11th strikeout of the game to end the inning.
“Molly was very good today, her stuff was awesome,” Fick said. “She has been awesome all year.”
That set up the bottom of the sixth for the Lady Crusaders. Morris was 0-for-2 with a strikeout and pop out in the game when she came to the plate.
“Hitting is hard and when you’re struggling and you’re not having success, it can wear on you,” Fick said. “But she’s fought through that, she’s put in extra time getting in swings and in big moments, hard work will pay off.”
Morris was surprised to see the ball clear the fence.
“A little bit,” she said. “I’ve been struggling at the plate a little bit this season. Coach Fick told me just to have confidence in myself, I know my teammates have my back.”
Helias picked up a valuable insurance run later in the inning. With two outs, Cambri Van Loo doubled to left field. Addy Wilson followed with a single to left to score pinch-runner Sierra Zuck to make it 4-2.
Wilson, a freshman, had two of Helias’ six hits in the game.
“Addy hangs in there and when she sees a pitch, she gets after it,” Fick said.
There were still three big outs to get before the Lady Crusaders could punch their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since winning the Class 3 state championship in 2019.
Berkey retired the first two Lady Lakers on a grounder to shortstop and a pop to second base before Anna Lucas walked on a 3-2 pitch.
“Getting that extra run has a little different feel when they get that baserunner,” Fick said.
Berkey then got strikeout No. 12 to end the game and set off a celebration near home plate.
“It’s so awesome,” Berkey said. “I’m really proud of all the girls on this team and we just need to continue to do the little things that got us here.”
The other semifinal game, also slated for a noon start next Thursday, will pit Warrenton (16-8) against Kearney (24-8).