Rehmeier, Helias take CMAC opener from Lady Jays

Jefferson City shortstop Kara Daly catches the throw down and prepares to tag Molly Berkey of Helias on a steal attempt during Wednesday's game at Vogel Field.
Jefferson City shortstop Kara Daly catches the throw down and prepares to tag Molly Berkey of Helias on a steal attempt during Wednesday's game at Vogel Field.

The Helias Lady Crusaders took the first Central Missouri Activities Conference softball game from the Jefferson City Lady Jays on Wednesday evening at Vogel Field, 4-0, behind a dominant outing in the circle for Alexa Rehmeier.

But immediately after the game, all eyes, in both dugouts, were focused on Sept. 21, when the Missouri High School Activities Association releases class and district assignments.

"It's nice, a conference win, conference championships are nice, but we don't hang conference (championship) banners," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said after the game. "You can't win a state championship unless you win districts."

There is a chance these two teams could meet again with a district title on the line, thanks to enrollment numbers and the new championship factor, which will likely bump the Lady Crusaders up after their 2019 Class 3 title.

"With not making district assignments until (Sept. 21), it's a potential district opponent as well," Jefferson City coach Zac Miller said, "so you know it's already a conference game, but you're really looking at the district, that's the one you really want to get."

The Lady Jays are now 3-2 this season, 0-1 in the CMAC.

The Lady Crusaders (6-3, 1-0 CMAC) have won five straight games after dropping the opener of last week's War on the Battlefield Tournament to Mexico. Helias finished second in its pool, then ran through Blue Springs South 17-5 in the semifinals and beat the Lady Bulldogs 3-0 in a rematch in the title game.

Wyrick said Rehmeier, who recently committed to play collegiately at Eastern Illinois, had a breakthrough in the second half of Saturday's title game against Mexico, and she carried over her efforts into Wednesday night's game, tossing a complete-game three-hitter with no walks while striking out 11.

"I can tell a difference in her in her pace," Wyrick said. "When she gets her sign, throws a pitch, gets the ball back, gets her sign and gets on and goes, that's how I know when she's locked in. I knew we were going to have a good effort out of her, because she had a good pace, second half of Mexico and all night tonight."

The Lady Jays had one runner in scoring position all night, and Addison Morgan's leadoff single in the bottom of the first was negated when Paige Schaffer threw Morgan out trying to take second.

After Kara Daly flew out to right field after a 10-pitch at-bat, Reynolds hit a bloop single to center with two down, but Reece DeSimone struck out swinging to end the inning. That strikeout was Rehmeier's first of the game, and the start of a streak of six consecutive batters set down on strikes stretching into the third inning.

"Both sides pitched it well, but we really struggled offensively," Miller said. "You're not going to win if you don't score any runs, right? But we had some opportunities and we've got to have some better at-bats."

Opposite Rehmeier, Jefferson City starter Avrey Reynolds scattered seven hits across seven innings, walking one and striking out four. Reynolds' only trouble inning was the sixth, when the first three Helias batters singled, plating a pair of runs.

After Payton Dudenhoeffer scored in the top of the first on a two-out error, Reynolds pitched cleanly into the fifth inning before a one-out walk to Ava Morris - just Reynolds' third walk of the season in 35 innings. Morris moved to second on a groundout and scored on Dudenhoeffer's single up the middle. Dudenhoeffer was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, the only player from either side to have a multihit game. Kendyll Rackers had an RBI single in the sixth, and Reece Chiles hit an RBI fielder's choice to round out the scoring.

"Reynolds is a good pitcher. When she keeps the ball down, she's tough," Wyrick said. "We're going to see 'em again. I know we'll see them again in their tournament, we'll see 'em in districts if we're in the same district. We feel fortunate to beat her, she's a good pitcher."

The Lady Crusaders play at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Sedalia Smith-Cotton, while Jefferson City hosts Capital City at 5 p.m. Friday.

Helias won the JV game 13-1.