DISTRICT W

Helias held on for a 2-1 win Monday against Warrensburg in the Class 5 District 5 Tournament.

The Helias Crusaders didn’t do it all the time Monday, but they did it when it counted the most.

It’s been drilled into the heads of Crusaders for years — just play catch.

“They’ve heard that so much, they probably hear it in their sleep, but it’s true,” Helias coach Chris Wyrick said after the Crusaders threw a runner out at the plate to end a 2-1 victory against the Warrensburg Tigers in the opening round of the Class 5 District 5 Tournament at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.

“You can’t get people out and win baseball games if you can’t throw it and catch it.”

Trailing by a run, the Tigers led off the top of the seventh with an infield single by

Brett Marnholtz and sacrificed him to second. Another infield single, this one by pinch-hitter Joshua Thomas, put runners at the corners. Pinch-runner Judd Sullivan then stole second to put two Tigers in scoring position.

Antonio Corona followed with a fly ball to Luke Cavender in center field. Cavender waited, then charged in to make the catch and used that momentum to throw the ball home.

“He got behind the ball and made a great throw home,” Wyrick said. “He did it exactly like we practice it and it worked out.”

The throw was a little high, but Helias catcher David Hofherr snared it shoulder-high and placed the tag on the sliding Marnholtz to end the game.

“Dave was patient enough to catch it first, then make the tag,” Wyrick said. “The ball beat him by enough he didn’t have to rush it.

“Just play catch.”

With the win, third-seeded Helias (15-8) advances to Wednesday’s semifinal game against second-seeded Borgia (14-9). Game time is 5 p.m.

Borgia rallied to beat Helias 4-3 on April 1 in Washington.

“I think we’re ready to give them a little better game than we have the last couple of times,” Wyrick said.

Helias starting pitcher Sam Wyrick worked out of jams early in the game to keep Warrensburg off the scoreboard.

The Tigers stranded a runner at third base in the first, then left a runner at second base in the second. In the fourth, two singles and an error had Warrensburg runners at second and third with one out. But Wyrick got a strikeout and grounder to second to get out of the inning.

“They got singles and teams have to get more than singles a lot of time to score against a good pitcher like Sam,” Chris Wyrick said. “If they execute a ground ball, they probably score a run. But he got out of it.”

Sam Wyrick needed 35 pitches to get through the first two innings, but threw just 49 to get through the final five to get the win. He finished with a six-hitter, walking one and recording six strikeouts.

Helias got on the board off Warrensburg starter Gage Claunch in the second.

Drew Miller led off with a bloop just past first base down the right-field line that fell just fair for a hustling double.

“A lot of guys in this day and age don’t even get to first and he’s standing on second base,” Wyrick said.

Miller advanced to third on a fly to center by Brandon Scheulen. Billy Underwood then struck out, but the third strike was dropped and Miller came home to score on the throw to first.

Warrensburg tied it in the fifth when it turned a pair of infield throwing errors into a run.

Helias regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Underwood reached on an infield error before Nick Jeffries lined a 2-1 pitch to left for a hit-and-run single. The ball bounced past the Tiger left fielder and Underwood came around to score to make it 2-1.

“Put the bat on the ball and good things can happen,” Wyrick said. “A hit-and-run, there’s no guessing, you have to swing at the pitch. He executed and we got a run out of it.”

Sam Wyrick set down the Warrensburg 3-4-5 hitters in order in the sixth to set up the dramatic seventh.

“Survive and advance,” Chris Wyrick said.

Miller and Jeffries had the only hits against Claunch, a hard-throwing lefty.

“He was good,” Wyrick said. “He filled up the zone, he got ahead in the count and then he could do what he wanted.

“He’s got control, he’s got three pitches for strikes. We feel fortunate to win this game.”

The first semifinal Wednesday will pit top-seeded and third-ranked Camdenton against fourth-seeded Washington. That game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.

The district title game is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday.