Helias junior lefthander Zach Davidson fires a pitch to Payton Bodenstab during the first inning of Friday night's game at Vivion Field.

Helias' Davidson no-hits Jays;
diving play by Harrsion saves it

April 27, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- Landon Harrison was a thorn in the side of the Jefferson City Jays one last time.

This time, not with a jumper, but with a dive and a glove.

The Helias senior made a diving, highlight-reel catch in the seventh inning to preserve Zach Davidson's no-hitter of the arch-rival Jays as the Crusaders secured a 3-0 win on Friday night at Vivion Field.

Led by the All-State basketball efforts of Harrison --- who was a four-year starter --- the Crusaders had their way with the Jays during his days on the court.

He played baseball as a freshman and sophomore, but chose to sit out last season to concentrate on basketball. He returned this season ... and did this.

Even though he didn't know exactly what he'd done.

"I knew Zach was pitching a heck of a game," Harrison said, "but honestly, I had no idea there was a no-hitter on the line."

It came with one out in the seventh, when Joseph Travis his a slicing line drive down the right field line.

"I know one thing, I did make a good read on the ball," Harrison said. "I didn't know if I could get to it right off the bat, but I ran as hard as I could and fortunately, I made the play."

Nobody was happier to see it than Davidson.

"I thought it was going to get down and I saw Landon dive for it and I'm like: 'Thank you, Landon!" the junior lefthander said. "Thank you very much!"

Three years ago, Jacob Weirch --- then a Jefferson City sophomore --- threw a perfect game against Helias. Davidson's effort wasn't perfect, but it was close.

He retired the final 19 batters after a rocky start in the first inning, when he threw 32 pitches (he would throw only 65 in the final six innings) and walked the bases loaded. On pitch 32, and with a 3-2 count Blake Terry, he induced a groundout to end the threat.

There would be no more threats for the Jays (14-10), who have now lost five straight.

"If Zach throws strikes, he's tough to hit, because he's got decent velocity and he's got such good movement," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "His curve ball was also very good tonight ... it was just a heck of a performance.

"This was good to see, because we've had a big injury (season-ending elbow to junior Bryce Bond), so we're going to need him."

The difference between the first inning and the last six for Davidson?

"I think it was probably nerves, early," Wyrick said. "It's a crosstown rivalry game, there were a lot of people here ... but he settled down and started pounding the strike zone.

"And our defense came to play tonight, also."

Through four innings, Jefferson City junior Justin Wood was working on a three-hit shutout of his own. But in the fifth, and after a bloop single by Harrsion, up came sophomore sensation Trevor Austin.

The Jays had made it clear they didn't want to pitch to Austin, the No. 3 hitter, as he'd been hit by a pitch and intentionally walked. But this time, and with Harrison on first, Austin belted a 2-2 pitch for a two-run homer to make it 2-0.

"They had to pitch to him that time, they weren't going to walk him with a runner on first base," Wyrick said. "And he's a dangerous hitter."

The Crusaders (14-5) added a run in the sixth when Parker Schnieders singled, moved to third on a two-base throwing error, and scored on a double play groundout.

That made it 3-0 going to the bottom of the seventh. Davidson, who finished with nine strikeouts, fanned the first and third batters in the frame. But it was the middle man, Travis, who put this memorable moment in danger with his drive to right field.

Sure, the play by Harrison probably didn't change the outcome; Helias would have still have won the game, in all likelihood.

But people forget wins and losses, even in rivalry games. They don't, however, forget no-hitters, especially in rivalry games.

"Obviously, our schools are right down the street from each other, so it means a lot," Harrison said. "This is a big rivalry game and we want to come in here and show them what we're made of."

He did, one last time.

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