Shea Wendt wanted his opportunity in the batter's box.
With the Blair Bears trailing by three runs, the future Creighton Bluejay faced Omaha Gross right-handed pitcher Connor Capece — another CU recruit — representing the tying run with two outs. He expected a seventh-inning fastball, and told himself to stay calm and be on time.
“He ended up beating me a little bit,” Wendt said. “I got under it a little bit.”
The flyout signified the end of the BHS baseball season. Gross (15-6 overall) won the Class B District 4 Final at home, 5-2, qualifying for the NSAA State Championships.
The Bears (14-10), meanwhile, hoped for a wild card berth that wasn't meant to be. Elkhorn's upset of Omaha Skutt dashed those aspirations.
As others cried in the aftermath, Wendt smiled as he embraced his teammates and coaches.
“There's a reason we break down (the huddle), 'Family' on three,” he said. “They are family, and they're like brothers to me. I love them.”
The finality of it all hadn't quite sunk in with Wendt either. He was, however, anticipating it.
“It may hit me on the bus.”
Gross wins by 3 runs
The Blair baseball team scored first Friday, but it struggled to score from there as Capece threw all seven innings for the Cougars. The right-hander struck out 16 Bears, but couldn't keep them from contending against the higher-seeded team.
“I think we competed as well as we could have,” BHS coach John Roan said. “It's just sometimes, unfortunately in the game of baseball, there's going to be a winner and there's going to be a loser.”
Nate Wachter made a winning swing during the top of the first inning, plating senior Greyson Kay with a double to the wall. The extra-base hit gave the Bears a 1-0 lead it'd hold until Gross' two-run third frame.
Wendt, the starting pitcher, relief thrower Dylan Swanson and the Blair defense made sure the score held at 2-1 through the fourth and fifth innings, though. Wendt pitched four frames total with seven strikeouts before Swanson threw a scoreless fifth.
Hunter Travis, meanwhile, did his part from right field. After throwing a runner out at home plate during the second inning, the Bear stretched and stole a sure, two-run hit with a dive in the fifth.
BHS' Tanner Jacobson made a sliding catch in left field during the sixth frame, too, before the Cougars rallied. Ahead 2-1 with two outs, Gross drew a walk before back-to-back intentional walks by the Bears.
With the bases loaded, Roan and his ballclub hoped for a force out at any base to end the inning only down one run. It didn't work as a dribbler on the infield grass turned into a two-run error.
“We just didn't execute the play,” the Blair coach said.
Another run scored on a hard liner off of a Bear's glove as the home team built its lead to 5-1. The third out came, but the damage was done.
“I'd take that situation 100 of 100 times,” Roan said, referencing the costly two-out error. “And we're making (the play) 99 out of 100 times and this just happened to be the one time we didn't.”
The Cougars made their own error during the top of the seventh inning as Blair made a comeback attempt. Wachter's infield pop fly landed between Gross infielders and Jacobson scored with two outs.
Not long after, with two runners on, Wendt stepped in for his final BHS at-bat. Capece earned the out, though, and the Cougars celebrated with fireworks going off high above the field.
“At the end of the day, those guys we had up to the plate in that situation were the guys we wanted at the plate,” Roan said.
He was, overall, pleased with the Bears' district finals effort.
“I'm proud of the way they played,” the coach said. “I'm proud of the way they've gone through the season.”
Seniors conclude year
With graduation not far off, Blair's Lee Chavez-Lara, Kaden Sears, Bo Nielsen, Kay, Joe Rodriguez, Wendt, Travis and Brayan Caraveo suited up for the final time Friday.
“They're amazing,” Roan said. “It's been a real special group.”
The 12th-grade Bears lost their freshman season and development time to COVID-19 cancellations, but still delivered on the field in their coach's eyes.
“Those boys, I love them,” Roan said. “Wouldn't trade them for anything. It's been a real blast coaching them.”
BHS BASEBALL LINE SCORES
Friday
No. 5 Omaha Gross 5, No. 10 Blair 2
BHS (14-10) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2 5 2
OG (15-6) 0 0 2 0 0 3 X — 5 4 5
Thursday
No. 10 Blair 15, Ralston 5, 6 inn.
RHS (4-10) 0 3 0 0 2 0 — 5 6 3
BHS (14-9) 0 0 3 0 3 9 — 15 15 3
