WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons have no intention of sharing the Tri-County Conference softball championship this season.
Not allowing a run so far in conference play is one surefire way to win the regular-season title outright.
Andi Siebeneck pitched a two-hitter, while the Blair Oaks offense hit a pair of home runs Monday in a 5-0 win against the Versailles Lady Tigers.
"We don't like sharing it, we definitely want to win it outright," Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost said with a laugh. "That's definitely one of our goals this season.
"This game tonight was one that scared me. To come in and get a 5-0 win, I am happy and pleased with that."
Blair Oaks shared the conference title last season with Hallsville, one of 24 Tri-County titles for the Lady Falcons since Buschjost took over as head coach prior to the 1996 season.
In 2021, Blair Oaks is 4-0 in conference play, outscoring opponents 31-0.
Versailles has been a softball program on the rise in the past few years, going from seven wins in 2019 to 16 wins last season. The Lady Tigers won 10 of their first 13 games this season.
"Coach (Jason) Ollison has done a great job with the program at Versailles," Buschjost said. "It is a different Versailles team, and has been over the last several years. There is nothing easy about them."
Kenzie Libbert was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the first inning, and she later scored on an RBI single by Anna Hankins to give Blair Oaks a 1-0 lead.
Libbert also opened last week's game against Helias with a hit by pitch and a run scored.
"Kenzie's got the bruise to prove it, too," Buschjost said. " With her personality and mentality, she could care less. She's just happy she's on first base."
Blair Oaks continued to hold a 1-0 lead until the fourth, when No. 9 hitter Macee Ernst blasted a solo home run to right-center field to double the lead.
"Having her in that spot definitely makes for a strong batting order," Buschjost said.
In the next inning, Siebeneck helped herself out at the plate, hitting a two-run home run just over the fence in left-center field. That homer scored Kadence Kliegel to stretch the lead to 4-0.
In her previous at-bat, Siebeneck ripped a line drive up the middle that was knocked down by Versailles pitcher Joscelynn Marriott. Buschjost said some folks in the dugout were predicting a big blast from Siebeneck in her next at-bat.
"They were sensing that Andi was just a little bit frustrated and ready to take it out on something, so she took it out on the ball and sent it over the fence," Buschjost said.
Marriott walked two and struck out four in her six innings of work in the pitcher's circle, but she also fielded five ground balls and line drives hit back up the middle for outs for the Lady Tigers.
"I love great-fielding pitchers," Buschjost said. "She saved several base hits herself, which could have opened up even-bigger innings. She did a great job pitching and fielding her position."
Blair Oaks scored its last run in the sixth, when Libbert's bunt single down the first-base line scored Emma Wolken.
Siebeneck allowed her first earned runs of the season during the weekend in two losses in the Lady Jays Softball Classic, but she bounced back Monday with a 14-strikeout performance against Versailles for her fifth shutout of the season.
"She was on a good run, but earned runs are going to happen," Buschjost said. "We're a good enough team to support her when runs do score. She was back on track tonight and had to work hard to leave zeros on the board."
Ernst went 3-for-3 to lead the Lady Falcons, adding a pair of singles. Hankins also finished with a pair of singles in a 10-hit attack for Blair Oaks.
Ashlynn Davidson hit a two-out double to the left-center gap in the first inning and Marriott singled to right field in the sixth inning for Versailles' only hits.
Blair Oaks (11-3, 4-0 Tri-County) continues conference play with a home game today against School of the Osage.
Versailles (10-4, 1-2 Tri-County) plays Thursday at Boonville.
In the JV game, Blair Oaks defeated Versailles 16-0 in three innings.
Ava Willson was the winning pitcher for Blair Oaks (8-2-1), tossing a one-hitter and striking out eight. Morgan Luebbering led the offense with two hits and five RBI, Willson had two hits and one RBI and Alyssa Reinkemeyer, Courtney Russell and Addison Kusgen each had one hit and one RBI.