The Helias Crusaders simply got more hits when they had runners on base.
"For the most part when we got a fastball to hit we were hammering at it," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said Wednesday following an 8-2 victory against Capital City at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. "We've got to keep that aggressiveness."
Four of Helias' 12 hits came in the first inning.
Jake Weaver and Zach Wolken hit back-to-back one-out singles and Ethan Holzhauser smacked a 1-0 pitch to right field to tie the Central Missouri Activities Conference game at 1.
Wolken tagged up from third on Sam Schell's fly out and Holzhauser scored after sliding into third base for a steal, getting up and crossing the plate on an errant throw.
After a quiet two innings, Aleck Barchenski and Quinton Baker each got a fly ball to drop into left field for an RBI single in the fourth.
Barchenski delivered again in the fifth with a double to the corner in left field to score Jacob Watson, who walked and stole second base.
A two-run sixth inning included Holzhauser's second hit of the game, a line-drive to left field for an RBI single and an 8-1 lead.
Watson had a two-hit game and Barchenski went 3-for-3.
"There's no coincidence you get 12 hits when you don't strike out," Wyrick said. "When you put the ball in play, put the bat on the ball, you'll give yourself a chance to be successful. If we can continue to do that and make teams make 21 outs on us, it gives us a better chance to win."
Ten of the hits came off Capital City left-hander Taggert Bodenstab, who allowed six earned runs while striking out four and walking two in five innings.
Carlos Ayala took the mound in the sixth inning, allowing two earned runs and two hits with a walk.
"I though we threw great," Capital City coach Brett Skinner said. "Give Helias credit, they put the barrel on the ball and good things are gonna happen."
The Cavaliers struck first and pressured Helias' Cole Peters and David Hofherr, but the Crusaders found ways out of trouble.
Peters kept a 3-1 lead intact by getting a pop out to third base with the bases loaded in the second.
Ayala singled to right field with one on and two outs in the third to put runners on the corners before a ground ball to the second baseman resulted in an inning-ending fielder's choice.
The Cavaliers set themselves up for another scoring opportunity in the fourth with a Noah Nicklas leadoff walk, a Brock Miles two-out walk and Bodenstab's flare to right field for a single.
But Hofherr got the next batter to swing and miss on a breaking ball to leave the bases loaded a second time.
"We couldn't get that timely hit," Skinner said. "You do those things and that's a whole different ballgame."
Brett Kuebler slapped a slow grounder to third base for an infield single in the first inning, scoring Caydin Engelbrecht for the game's first run.
Capital City scored the final run of the game when Kuebler lined one off Hofherr's glove for an infield single to drive in Bodenstab, who led off with a triple to left-center field.
"Things started to get out of hand a little bit, but we still, offensively, we kept getting guys on," Skinner said.
Kuebler and Bodenstab combined for half of Capital City's eight hits.
Peters pitched the first 3 innings, allowing a run on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
"Cole's got good stuff," Wyrick said. "He just needs to trust his stuff more. He's got a good fastball, got a good changeup, got a good breaking ball. He just needs to throw with conviction and trust himself because he's a good pitcher."
Hofherr stuck out four and walked one while allowing a run on three hits in 3 innings.
"When we attack the strike zone we get a lot of outs," Wyrick said. "Dave throws all kinds of strikes."
Helias (12-7, 2-2 CMAC) will play its third straight conference game today at Battle. Game time is 5 p.m.
The Crusaders will travel Saturday to St. Louis to face St. Louis University High and Troy-Buchanan.
"Hopefully this will be a learning lesson of what we can do when we do things the right way," Wyrick said.
Capital City (3-14, 0-5) will play Friday and Saturday in the Dixon Wood Bat Tournament.