Blair Oaks Falcons secure Class 2 baseball crown

The Blair Oaks Falcons won the Class 2 state baseball championship, beating the South Pemiscot Bulldogs 4-2 Thursday night at Taylor Stadium.

Senior pitcher Jared Verslues got the win, striking out six and allowing one earned run on four hits in six innings. Junior Travis Henke pitched the seventh, giving up one hit and striking out two to earn the save.

South Pemiscot pitcher Scotty Boone struck out 16 in seven innings for a new Class 2 record, but gave up three earned runs on six hits.

The Falcons scored their runs in the first three innings. Verslues doubled in the first to drive in one run. Garrett Talken scored Derek Shikles on a squeeze bunt in the second, and Tyler Lueckenhoff drove in two runs with a double in the third.

Before the game, a sea of green shirts, caps and coats clumped together down the third base line behind the Falcons’ dugout on the chilly, overcast evening. The seven-hour drive from Steele prevented the South Pemiscot fans from creating as much of an overwhelming presence.

Verslues kept himself loose near the batting cage before the game, preparing for the final start of his high school career.

“We play our best when we’re relaxed and not uptight,” Verslues said.

To keep from getting tense before games, Verslues said the players quote lines from movies such as “Major League” or start singing songssuch as “Cotton-Eyed Joe” or “Jump Around.”

Freshmen and junior varsity players lined the picnic benches next to the batting cages, enjoying the experience of postseason play. The underclass teams have traveled with the varsity since districts, coach Brian Ash said.

“The older kids guided our younger kids,” Ash said. “This gives them something to strive for.”

When Blair Oaks lost early in the season to rival Fatima, Verslues and the rest of the Falcons knew it was time to work harder if they were going to make it to the postseason.

Blair Oaks lost just one more game on the way to a 17-2 record and a conference title. The Falcons were also conference champs last season but lost to New Bloomfield in district play. This year, the Falcons beat the same team to take the district championship.

Senior Kyle Luebbert said he didn’t foresee a state championship this year because the team fielded only two seniors. But winning districts seemed to jump start the Falcons. They beat Monroe City 8-1 in sectionals and Wright City 13-3 in the quarterfinals before beating Hollister.

“Beating New Bloomfield this year has made all the difference,” Luebbert said.

Hollister and Russellville were scheduled to play at 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon, but the game was canceled because of rain. Both teams were awarded third place.

Blair Oaks earned a dramatic semifinal victory Wednesday night over Hollister after waiting out a 40-minute lightning delay.

Each team scored a run in the first, and Blair Oaks pulled ahead by one in the third before Hollister came back in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

But Blair Oaks rallied to win in the seventh.

After a diving catch in right field sent Kyle Henke back to the dugout, Travis Henke walked and moved to third on a single by Verslues. Verslues stole second, and Andrew Pointer lined a double into the left field corner to send both runners home. A dog pile greeted Verslues as he crossed the plate.