Helias beats Blair Oaks 2-1 on walk-off hit in ninth inning

Sam Wyrick of Helias steals second base ahead of the tag by Blair Oaks shortstop Holden Brand during Monday night’s game at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. (Shaun Zimmerman/News Tribune)
Sam Wyrick of Helias steals second base ahead of the tag by Blair Oaks shortstop Holden Brand during Monday night’s game at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. (Shaun Zimmerman/News Tribune)

For the longest time, it looked like one run would be enough.

Just two batters into Monday’s game, the Blair Oaks Falcons led 1-0 against the Helias Crusaders. That remained the score until Helias sent the game to extra innings with a run in the bottom of the seventh, then won it 2-1 with a run in the ninth at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.

“When it got to crunch time, we performed,” Helias coach Chris Wyrick said.

And even with Missouri signee Wil Libbert on the mound, Blair Oaks wasn’t surprised one run wasn’t enough to get the victory.

“With Wil pitching, you know you have a good chance at stringing together some zeros,” Blair Oaks assistant coach Justin Buschjost said. “But you don’t want to sit there with one run the entire game, we knew we needed to get more against a good team like Helias.

“We just couldn’t get another guy in.”

Nolan Laughlin led off the game for the Falcons with a single to center field. With courtesy runner Caiden Sanford at first base, a pickoff throw went down the line in right field and Sanford scooted his way to third.

Aiden Boeckmann then singled to right to score Sanford. A passed ball and stolen base had Boeckmann at third with two outs before Helias starter Sam Wyrick got a strikeout to end the inning.

Libbert then came on to throw the first of six dominant innings Monday. The lefty allowed just two Helias baserunners -- a one-out single in the first by Wyrick and a two-out single by Myles Gresham in the second. Both were eventually stranded at second base.

“When he’s on, he’s tough to hit,” Buschjost said. “Even if you know the fastball is coming, it’s still tough to catch up with it.”

The first 14 outs Libbert recorded in the game came on strikeouts.

“We were swinging at strikes, we didn’t take too many fastballs for strikes,” Chris Wyrick said. “We attacked the strike zone, he’s just good. He locks in against us, he’s going Division I for a reason, he’s got the physical skills, but he’s got the mental skills to go along with that.”

After a 36-pitch first inning, Sam Wyrick settled in for the Crusaders. He allowed three more singles before being pulled after a hit by Harrison Lear to start the top of the fifth.

Trey Rice came on in relief for the Crusaders. Laughlin sacrificed Lear to second before a walk to Boeckmann put Falcons at first and second. But a flyout and a liner to first ended the threat.

In the bottom half of the inning, Patrick Baker became the first Helias out not to come via a strikeout when he ended the inning with a grounder to short.

Justin Atnip led off the Blair Oaks sixth with a double to left-center. But Rice got a strikeout, a fly out and grounder to short to end the inning.

“You know you’re facing good arms, but you have to find a way to get some runs across. In games like this, a run isn’t going to cut it,” Buschjost said.

Libbert wrapped up his day by retiring the Crusaders in order in the bottom of the sixth. He finished with 81 total pitches.

“We had him at a set number and we stuck with that game plan,” Buschjost said. “To get through six innings, that was pretty efficient and we were happy to get that.”

Rice got a pair of strikeouts to set down the Falcons in order in the top of the seventh.

David Hofherr led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right-center against Jacob Tellman. He moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a single by Ben Miller. Helias had a pair of runners thrown out trying to steal later in the inning and the game went to the eighth tied at 1.

Helias got a double play to end the top of the eighth, while Tellman set down the Crusaders in order in the bottom of the inning.

Owen Schellman started the top of the ninth for Blair Oaks by reaching on an infield single, but Rice got two strikeouts and a pop out to second to end the inning.

Drew Miller led off the bottom of the ninth by reaching on a throwing error. Sam Wyrick pushed a bunt to the left of the mound to sacrifice Miller to second before Hofherr hit a 1-1 pitch for a single to center to score Miller with the game-winner.

“Drew did his job, Sam did his job and Dave did his job,” Wyrick said. “We got somebody on, got him over and got him in. We put together some good at-bats and played some good team baseball.”

Holden Brand had two of the six hits for Blair Oaks (3-6), which will play today against Eldon in a Tri-County Conference contest.

“This makes you better,” Buschjost said. “It stinks to lose, but it will make you better for May and the start of districts.”

Hofherr had two of Helias’ five hits.

“This is going to be like our district, there are all kinds of arms among those teams,” Wyrick said.

Rice pitched the final five innings to get the win for Helias. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five.

“Trey has good stuff, when he gets into a groove, he’s tough to hit,” Wyrick said. “He was spotting his fastball very well and you work off of that.”

Sam Wyrick gave up an unearned run on four hits and one walk while recording six strikeouts in four-plus innings.

The Crusaders will travel to Columbia for games today and Wednesday. Helias will face defending Class 3 state champion Father Tolton today before taking on Hickman on Wednesday in a Central Missouri Activities Conference contest.

“It doesn’t get any easier, but it’s going to prepare us,” Chris Wyrick said.