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Score settled: St. Elizabeth avenges last year's title game loss to Oran with decisive win for Missouri Class 1 championship

Missouri-bound Brock Lucas posts strong pitching, hitting game for Hornets.

By Buck Ringgold

Photos courtesy of Ron and Lisa Rigdon, Cheap Seats Photo

OZARK — Brock Lucas knew the sinking feeling of losing in the state title game last season to Oran. 

So, in his final game for St. Elizabeth, Lucas wanted a reversal of fortune. Turns out his Hornet teammates shared the same sentiment.

St. Elizabeth jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the second inning of Tuesday's Class 1 championship game. That was more than enough for Lucas as he was the winning pitcher as the Hornets avenged last season's loss with a decisive 9-2 win at the U.S. Baseball Park.

"We've had this marked on our calendar since last year," said Lucas, a senior who has signed with Missouri. "To come in last year and not be able to score, we knew we had to come out and make big hits and we did.

"The goal is to score seven runs by the second inning, but I would have been happy with three or four."

Lucas, who was part of St. Elizabeth's 2019 championship team as a freshman, helped contribute to the early barrage of Hornet runs. He gave the Hornets the lead to stay with a first-inning triple and then doubled in two more runs an inning later.

"I kept my weight back up at the plate, and I knew if I could help myself, that can only help me out," Lucas said.

St. Elizabeth (18-6) also got a big night from Lucas' battery mate in junior catcher Jace Kesel. Kesel doubled twice and drove in four runs, a two-run double in the second and another two-run double in the top of the fifth as the Hornets built a 9-0 lead.

"We always know the best thing to do is to put the ball in play and we were putting it in play and it was working out," Kesel said. "The best thing to do is put the ball in play.

"We hit well and we needed runs."

Levi Holtmeyer's RBI double capped a five-run second as St. Elizabeth built its early 7-0 advantage.

"That's what we had to do to come out; we had to put runs up early, get them back on their heels and more defensive, and with Brock out on the mound, it makes it even harder for them to make a comeback, so our guys came out ready to hit," St. Elizabeth coach Caleb Heckemeyer said. "It was just great to see that happen and proud of these guys."

With the big early lead, Lucas was able to settle in and nearly take care of the rest.

Lucas shut out Oran (20-4) over the first four innings and ended up going 6 1/3 innings. He was taken out after throwing 104 pitches, one short of the mandated 105-pitch limit, but not before recording his 11th strikeout to start the bottom of the seventh.

"I think he threw good; he was throwing good all year and he just did what he did," Kesel said. "So close to getting a complete game, but the pitch count got him there at the end, but he threw really well. ... His curveball was working well.

"Oran prepares well and they were prepared for the high-speed fastball, but mixing speeds upon them got them rolling over a couple of times and it really worked out."

With Lucas leaving the mound, it gave him the opportunity to be given a large ovation by the St. Elizabeth contingent on hand for the second time in the seventh inning. They also gave him an ovation after his final at-bat in the top of the seventh, although he had struck out.

"It meant everything," Lucas said. "The crowd at St. Elizabeth, the community, the school, they're amazing; they come out and support no matter where we go."

Gavin Williams, an underclassman, then came in to get the final two outs, including a strikeout to finish things off.

Heckemeyer noted one trait of his championship team was his pitching, not only from Lucas but also Caleb Oligschlaeger.

"Having two guys that throw upper 80s, mid 90s; them two helped us out all year long," Heckemeyer said. "Without them, I think we could still be here, but it might be a closer game, but those two were a big part of our success on the mound and then one through nine, when it came to the postseason, they all wanted to hit and put up a lot of runs for us."

Oligschlaeger, the team's leadoff batter Tuesday, went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Isaac Green, the two-hole hitter, scored twice.

Three Eagles recorded two-hit games in Kolten Payne, Connor Kern and Quentin Senciboy. Senciboy turned in his team's only run-producing hit, a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth.

St. Elizabeth eventually got its payback from last year. Not to mention another prior season.

"It feels great because they beat us in 2018, too, and it feels great to get one back on them," Kesel said.

Class 1 Third Place

Northeast (Cairo) 9, South Nodaway 3

After giving up two runs in the top of the first in Tuesday's Class 1 third-place game, the Bearcats countered with three runs in their half of the inning.

Northeast (15-6) later led 4-3 before breaking the game open with a run in the fifth and four more in the sixth.

Four Bearcats turned in multi-hit games, with Robert Prewett going 3-for-3 with a double. Gage Wilson and Austin Wright each went 2-for-2, with Wilson hitting a double and driving in two runs. Thad Harman had two hits and two RBIs as well for Northeast.

Wilson was the winning pitcher, going all seven innings and giving up just one earned run on nine hits. He struck out four.

For South Nodaway (18-4), Alex Mattson went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Landon Wiederholt was 2-for-2 with an RBI.