WARDSVILLE - The Blair Oaks Falcons have been good for one big inning offensively in each game of the Class 3 state tournament.
In Tuesday's sectional win against Lamar, the Falcons scored nine runs in the first inning. In Wednesday's quarterfinal game, they secured their spot in the Final Four with a seven-run fifth inning.
"We always have good at-bats, we don't make many easy outs," Blair Oaks coach Mike DeMilia said after the Falcons defeated the Lawson Cardinals 10-0 in five innings Wednesday at the Falcon Athletic Complex. "With our offense, you can hold us down for a few innings, but eventually, we're going to get to you."
With the win, Blair Oaks (21-11) advances to its first Final Four since 2007. The ninth-ranked Falcons will play Montgomery County (17-8) in the Class 3 semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Monday at CarShield Field in O'Fallon.
"They've had some good teams that have rolled through here, but you need some luck, and we've got luck," DeMilia said of Blair Oaks, which was also making its first quarterfinal appearance in 12 years. "With all the good athletes rolling through these hallways and the tradition all of the sports have here, it's some pressure to get it done.
"We want to do our part to keep the athletic program going in the right direction."
Blair Oaks sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning without recording an out. Nolan Hair started with a leadoff walk, one of four free passes in the inning for the Falcons.
"The thing that gets overlooked is we walk a lot, we don't strike out much," DeMilia said. "Even today, when we weren't hitting the ball great, we were still putting the ball in play.
"Eventually, if you keep getting baserunners on, you're going to get some knocks and then everything comes through."
After a double by David Dell, Hair scored on a wild pitch to push the Blair Oaks lead to 4-0. Later in the inning, Parker Bax had an RBI single and Reid Dudenhoeffer singled to load the bases.
Back-to-back walks to Maclaine McCarter and Ian Nolph extended the Falcons' lead to 7-0. Then Jacob Stegemann singled to left field, scoring two more runs to put Blair Oaks one run away from a run-rule win.
The next person to step to the plate was Lane Libbert, the hero of Blair Oaks' 15-3 sectional win against Lamar. In that contest, Libbert hit a grand slam - the first home run of his career - and added another homer in his next at-bat.
The Blair Oaks sophomore said he found some extra strength heading into that game.
"I just bucked some hay bales," Libbert said.
Libbert wrapped up Wednesday's game with a single just inside the third-base foul line, scoring Nolph from third to end the game. As he circled the bases, Libbert was mobbed by his teammates between second and third base.
"As soon as I saw it was fair, I knew we were going (to the Final Four)," Libbert said.
It was Libbert's sixth RBI in a span of 26 hours.
"Lane didn't even get an at-bat in the district tournament, and now he's our hottest guy," DeMilia said. " Hopefully he can keep this thing rolling, because especially in the No. 9 hole, the things he can do on the bases, he's a pretty big part of our offense."
The game was scoreless until the third inning, when Dell blooped a two-out single into right field to score Stegemann.
Later in the inning, Bax hit a ground ball to Lawson third baseman Lucas Pollard. As he made his way toward third base, Kamron Morriss avoided the tag by Pollard, which allowed courtesy runner Seth DeWesplore to score and double the Falcons' lead to 2-0.
"For him to be athletic enough to avoid that tag and get into third, that was pretty big," DeMilia said.
In the fourth, Nolph belted a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence to add to the Blair Oaks lead, making the score 3-0.
"The funny thing is he called it," DeMilia said. "He struck out his first at-bat and was disappointed about that. He said, 'Coach, I'm going to hit one out.' I thought, 'Whatever,' and went back to the coaches box. Then he hits it, and I knew off the bat it was gone."
Like Libbert, Nolph's postseason blast was his first home run of the season.
"I was just trying to do what I needed to for the team, and I got it done," Nolph said.
The offense overshadowed another stellar performance on the mound by Dell, who has allowed just one run across 18 innings in his last four pitching appearances.
Dell worked around a leadoff walk and a one-out single in the first, stranding a runner on third. No other Lawson batter made it past second base the rest of the game.
"Once David got going, he dialed in," DeMilia said. "They hit the ball hard a couple times off him, but for the most part, he dominated."
For the second consecutive game, Dell pitched a two-hitter, walking three and striking out 10 of the 18 batters he faced.
"I've struggled in a few innings at the beginning of games, but I've been able to settle down and throw my game," said Dell, who also batted 3-for-3 with two singles and a double.
Kaden Owens and Riley Sands each had a single against Dell, who retired the last six batters he faced.
The Falcons also backed him with some nice defense. Morriss made a diving catch in left field in the fifth and McCarter threw out Sands attempting a delayed steal of third base for the third out of the third inning.
"One run can make a difference there in the momentum of the game," DeMilia said. "They almost caught us sleeping, but fortunately, Maclaine and Reid got that out."
Blair Oaks has won its last 11 games, dating back to an April 27 doubleheader sweep of South Callaway and Scott City.
"The most runs we've given up in a game (during that span) is three, and that was against Lamar," DeMilia said. "If you don't give up runs and you've got an offense that finds a way, eventually you're going to find a way to get it done."
The Falcons' next opponent, Montgomery County, defeated sixth-ranked South Callaway 9-2 in Wednesday's quarterfinal game to advance to its first Final Four. The Wildcats have outscored opponents 40-8 in the postseason.
"We've got two more left," Dell said. "We need to focus in and get back at it next week."