WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The wind was blowing out and it took a lot of fly balls with it.
The Class 3 No. 2-ranked Blair Oaks Lady Falcons hit three home runs, along with three other extra-base hits, on the way to a 12-2 run-rule win Tuesday against the School of the Osage Lady Indians.
"Our game plan going in was to take two every time the ball landed in the outfield, that came in to play," Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost said of the Lady Falcons' power surge. "Everywhere you can gain an advantage, you go with that."
Andi Siebeneck connected for two of the Lady Falcons' three home runs at Falcon Athletic Complex.
Siebeneck hit a solo shot to center field in the first, then added a two-run bomb far past the left-field fence in the third for three of her four RBI.
"Patience and pitch selection," Buschjost said of Siebeneck's success. "She knows where she likes a pitch and where she has the most success with it, so it's just a matter of waiting for the pitcher to make a mistake and get it in her zone. She's got one of those swings where there's a good chance the ball is going out if she squares it up."
Taylor Groner added a solo blast to left in the second for Blair Oaks.
The Lady Falcons weren't the only ones taking advantage of the wind.
Halle Helton answered Siebeneck's first home run with a game tying one-run homer in the top of the second, then Osage starting pitcher Carly Ward sent the farthest home run of the night to dead center in the fourth, swinging away on a 3-0 count.
"We knew she could swing a good bat," Buschjost said. "I, maybe as a coach, should have put in a pitch selection there because I knew she had the green light and would be swinging away, but when you have the lead like that, I can take that better than I could take a walk."
After getting solo shots in the first and second, the Lady Falcons' offense strung together hits in the third.
Kenzie Libbert led off the inning with a first-pitch double to the wall in left center, then stole third before scoring on a Kadence Kliegel hustle double to short left field.
Siebeneck's second home run brought in Kliegel, then Anna Hankins smacked the first of her two singles through the left side of the infield before Jazmin Reinkemeyer singled to short left field with the Lady Indians' outfield playing nearly at the wall.
Hankins scored when Macee Ernst hit a hard ground ball, leading to an error, then both Reinkemeyer and Ernst scored on a Chesney Luebbering fly ball to left center that turned into the Lady Indians' second error of the inning.
"Home runs are fun, don't get me wrong," Buschjost said. "But as a coach, what you like to see is battling at the plate and finding a way to get on and getting some extra base hits. Extending innings that way. You're not going to live on the long ball too long in any given game."
The Lady Falcons added two more runs in the fourth when Hankins, Groner, Reinkemeyer and Ernst hit consecutive singles, with Reinkemeyer and Ernst both collecting an RBI.
Blair Oaks finished the game with two more in the bottom of the fifth. Libbert lined a double down the left-field line, then Kliegel dropped a bunt single down the third base line, before moving to second when no Lady Indians covered the bag. Siebeneck collected her third hit and fourth RBI with a single that dropped into short left before a fielder's choice brought up Groner with two outs and runners on first and second. Groner singled to shallow left to bring home Siebeneck and end the game.
"Osage beat Versailles at one point in time this season, so that tells you they've got enough of a combination of pitching and hitting throughout that they can do some damage," Buscjost said.
Olivia Moyer pitched all five innings for the Lady Falcons and struck out 11 batters on the way to collecting the win. Other than the two home runs, Moyer allowed only two hits, one to Reese Good in the third inning and one to Avery Faulkner in the fourth.
Libbert doubled twice and walked once on the way to two runs scored for the Lady Falcons, while Kliegel doubled for an RBI and singled.
Siebeneck had three hits, including two home runs, for four RBI, while Hankins singled twice and scored two runs. Groner had three hits, including the home run, one RBI and two runs scored, while Reinkemeyer had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Ernst singled, scored a run and brought home another for the Lady Falcons.
Blair Oaks (12-3, 5-0 Tri-County) goes to Vogel Field to play the Jefferson City Lady Jays at 5:30 p.m. today.
Blair Oaks shut out Osage 9-0 in JV action Tuesday in a three-inning contest.
Ava Willson threw all three innings for the Lady Falcons (9-2-1) and did not allow a hit, while striking out three Lady Indians.
Morgan Luebbering had two hits and an RBI for Blair Oaks, while Addison Kusgen and Kenya Austin each had one hit and two RBI.