It didn't officially count, but the important thing is the game was played.
There was extra energy from the players and coaches, the crowd was as vocal as ever and the game came down to the final out. It was a typical crosstown showdown.
The Jays put their No. 1 arm on the mound against a Helias Crusader squad made up of mostly seniors who got one more chance to battle it out on the diamond against Jefferson City.
"You can tell they're a little more focused," Helias coach Garrett Wiggans said after the Crusaders' doubleheader sweep of the Jays on Tuesday at Vivion Field. "A lot of these guys work during the day or they got weights in the morning and sometimes they're dog tired, but you could tell there's a little pep in the step when it's JC time."
The summer league games are usually more laid back than the spring season. Getting time on the field is typically more crucial than the final score.
This year, just being able to compete on the field is a bonus after the spring season was canceled because of COVID-19.
That also meant there would be no crosstown showdown, meaning the summer version of Helias-Jefferson City was it for 2020.
On Tuesday, the teams were certainly interested in the score. The first game of the doubleheader was the main event, with Helias holding on for a 1-0 victory.
The combination of Jacob Roettgen, Tanner Schmitz and Grant Straub kept Helias to three hits.
"Anytime you face Jeff City you're gonna see good arms," Wiggans said. "You're gonna see a well played baseball game from them."
Roettgen has been playing travel ball this summer, but didn't need much convincing to throw against Helias.
"I think he was pretty anxious to see the guys again," Jays coach Kyle Lasley said. "I was anxious just to see him. Hadn't seen his face in a while and he's been traveling around playing a little bit, so it's good to have him back out here."
The Jays couldn't get much solid contact against Helias' James Schaefer, who allowed four hits in a complete-game effort.
While the game ended in an unusual way with interference being called on a Jays batter on an infield popup for the final out, the Jays and Crusaders were able to play each other. That's what mattered, and it ended up being a solid substitution for the real thing.
"It doesn't matter if it's summer, fall, winter, spring, whatever," Lasley said, "everyone's gonna treat it like it's the championship."
It wasn't quite the state championship the Crusaders or Jays would have wanted a chance to play for this past spring, but a city title game was nice to have.
"You're in for a battle," Wiggans said. "I don't care if it's in June or if it's in March. I'm glad both Jeff City and Helias got to do that because it kind of got taken away when it really really mattered. It was fun to get it done and come out on the winning end."