The Rock Bridge Bruins defense didn't have to do a lot Monday.
Rock Bridge pitcher Ella Schouten made sure of that as the Bruins senior lefty struck out 19 Lady Crusaders in a 3-0 victory in Central Missouri Activities Conference action at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
"We didn't have very good at-bats all night," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "We let her dictate counts, we let her dictate our at-bats and when you do that against a good pitcher, she's going to win.
"Nineteen strikeouts is unacceptable."
Wyrick admitted it would be hard to simulate what Schouten brings to the circle, being left-handed with a variety of pitches.
"But she still has to throw it across an 18-inch plate and you have to be ready," he said. "We just weren't ready when she did. We were worried about watching the spin instead of seeing the ball and hitting the ball where it's pitched."
Helias had just one hit Monday. In the bottom of the second, Paige Schaffer reached on an error to start the inning, After a strikeout, Payton Dudenhoeffer lined a pitch off Schouten's glove that she beat out for an infield single to put runners at first and second. But Schouten struck out the next two Lady Crusaders to end the inning.
Schouten got the first 10 Helias outs via strikeout. Helias' first out in the field came on a Schaffer groundout to third with one out in the fourth. Molly Berkey's grounder to second was the other non-strikeout to close the fifth as Schouten struck out the final six batters she faced.
Four of Helias strikeouts were looking.
"We had a goal coming into the game of not getting caught looking," Wyrick said. "That's not battling and fighting against a good pitcher.
"You will not go very deep in the playoffs if you don't do better than that because you're going to see good pitching. I guess we're still trying to figure that out."
Rock Bridge scored single runs in the second, fifth and seventh innings against Helias starter Alexa Rehmeier.
"Alexa did enough to keep us in the game and gave us a chance to win," Wyrick said.
Rehmeier allowed eight hits and four walks while striking out eight.
"There were plays out there our defense needed to make and didn't," Wyrick said. "If we at least make the effort to make a play - lay out or dive - something for the pitcher in crunch time. When those plays are there, you have to at least try."
Rock Bridge (16-0) is the lone remaining undefeated team in CMAC play, improving to 5-0.
Helias (13-6, 3-1) will play Wednesday at Hickman.