ASHLAND - The Helias Lady Crusaders were going to have to earn it.
The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons had won 13 consecutive softball district championships heading into the Class 3 District 9 title game Saturday against the Lady Crusaders. The Lady Falcons know what it takes to advance.
The Lady Crusaders did earn it as Alexa Rehmeier and Lauren Howell combined on a no-hitter as Helias edged Blair Oaks 1-0 to claim the crown.
"It's great for these seniors to finally break the ice," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "It's great for them to win the championship they've come up just short of getting before.
"But we can't be satisfied now. We have to be ready to go as far as we can and that starts Wednesday."
Helias (21-5), which had lost in the district tournament title game the last three seasons, will host Bolivar (23-6) in the sectional round Wednesday at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. The start time has not been announced.
"A district championship game that finishes 1-0 is a game that's played the way it's supposed to be played," Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost said. "It was two good teams going at it."
Helias scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the third inning.
After Blair Oaks starter Andi Siebeneck retired the first two Helias hitters, Taylor Woehr singled to left and then stole second before Ella Meyer hit a 3-2 pitch that one-hopped the fence in center for an RBI double.
"Ella's come up big for us at the plate a lot of us this year," Wyrick said. "She has some surprising power for her size. She keeps it simple, she sees it and hits it."
The Lady Falcons came close to getting a baserunner to start the fourth inning when Natalie Otto hit a grounder to third, but was called out on a bang-bang play at first. One out later, Kaitlyn Kolb hit a sinking liner that Helias left fielder Rylee Kolb charged in to catch off her shoe tops.
It was one of three outstanding catches Saturday for Kolb that helped preserve the no-hitter.
"(Kolb) had a great game, it was a good thing she didn't have a chance to pull back a home run or she probably would have done that," Buschjost said.
Helias threatened to add to its lead in the bottom of the fourth, getting a two-out double from Riley Heckenkamp and a walk to Abigale Hoelscher to put runners at first and second. But Siebeneck got out of the inning on a pop out to short.
"They got some good swings, but Andi battled and got out of innings," Buschjost said.
Kolb made another great catch to end the fifth, running back and reaching up to snare a line drive by Bailey Rissmiller to end the inning.
"Coming in, going back, good thing Rylee's tall and lanky," Wyrick said. "She used every bit of it on defense today."
Siebeneck worked out of another jam in the bottom of the sixth. Kolb led off with a single before moving to second two outs later on a single by Heckenkamp.
But the Lady Falcons sophomore hurler got a pop out to first to end the threat. Siebeneck finished with a six-hitter, walking one and striking out five and allowed just her third earned run of the season.
"Andi is a really good pitcher, she keeps you off-balance because she throws everything she has for strikes," Wyrick said.
Howell came on to pitch the top of the seventh for the Lady Crusaders. Rehmeier was perfect through six innings striking out eight in 75 pitches.
"I think anybody will tell you that a district championship is more important than a no-hitter or a perfect game," Wyrick said. "I've seen people throw no-hitters and lose the game."
It wasn't a tough decision, Wyrick said.
"I wanted Lauren out there when we had a chance to clinch it because she's had some bad luck in the past in the title games," he said. "And Lauren's biggest fan when she was out there was Alexa. She didn't drop her head, she didn't pout, she was encouraging Lauren the entire time."
After starting the inning with a strikeout, Blair Oaks got its only baserunner of the game when Ellie Kliethermes drew a walk. But Howell was able to close the game with two more strikeouts.
"It was tough getting a runner to first base," Buschjost said. "We finally got one on in the seventh inning to put some pressure on them, but they shut us down."
After 13 straight titles, the Lady Falcons (20-6) were unaccustomed to watching somebody else receive the district championship plaque.
"It's an odd feeling, I'm not going to lie, for the coaches and the players," Buschjost said. "This is an experience we haven't felt in a while and that's a compliment to the players on this team and those in the past years. You get used to winning and so when this happens, you're not ready for it."
Wyrick said the Lady Crusaders have grown closer as a team in the past couple of weeks.
"There's something different recently, we've just become loose and relaxed and having fun," he said. "It seems like we're pretty good when we do that and we're not worrying about a lot of stuff. Just go out and play like we're capable."
It's the third time Helias has beaten Blair Oaks this season.
"It's hard to do that, winning is hard, I don't care what level you're at," Wyrick said. "Blair Oaks has won 13 years in a row for a reason. Sharon has them doing things the right way every year and they play hard until the last out."
Wyrick lauded Dan Campbell, the longtime Helias coach who stepped down after last year, for having a big role in the success of the Lady Crusaders.
"I wish he could have been a part of it, he put a lot of time and effort with this team and these girls the last three years," Wyrick said. "He deserves a lot of the credit for this."
Bolivar won the District 10 Tournament title Saturday with a 6-0 victory against School of the Osage.