The previous two postseason matchups between the Blair Oaks Falcons and the Fatima Comets had been instant classics. The Falcons made sure Tuesday night’s Class 4 District 8 Tournament semifinal game was more one-sided. Wil Libbert pitched a one-hitter through six innings and Blair Oaks piled on five runs in the bottom of the third inning to pull away to a 7-0 win against Fatima at Southern Boone High School.
The Blair Oaks Falcons have shown their pitching depth in Tri-County Conference play this season. It was Jacob Tellman’s turn Tuesday night, as he threw a two-hit shutout to lead the Falcons to an 11-0 victory against the Hallsville Indians at the Falcon Athletic Complex.
It was a shame someone had to lose Thursday night’s game at the Falcon Athletic Complex. But in baseball, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. Wil Libbert of Blair Oaks and Max Buscher of Fatima pitched scoreless inning after scoreless inning through seven innings in a pitchers’ duel between the two district foes. Libbert hit his pitch-count limit in the top of the eighth, while Buscher was able to pitch a complete game.
With second place in the Tri-County Conference on the line, it wasn’t the Blair Oaks Falcons’ best effort Tuesday night, but it was enough to get the win at the Falcon Athletic Complex. The California Pintos led through the first two innings, but Blair Oaks scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull out a 6-4 win.
Wil Libbert wasn’t just due. He was overdue. Libbert had just one hit in his previous 11 plate appearances when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score tied. But the Blair Oaks junior left-hander came through, pulling a 1-0 pitch into right field for a single, scoring Dylan Hair from second base to give the Falcons an 8-7 walk-off win Monday against the Helias Crusaders at the Falcon Athletic Complex.