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FAIRFIELD – With losses in five of its final six games Liberty High didn’t get the finish it wanted for the first regular season in program history.

The Lightning didn’t let that stop them from getting the postseason start they had in mind.

Liberty High snapped a 1-1 tie with two runs in the eighth inning and held on for a 3-1 win over Washington (21-12) in a Class, 3A District 10 semifinal on Saturday in Fairfield.

“Coach (Tom) Cronk from day one has told us that we are going to keep building and playing up to this day,” Liberty High sophomore Nolan Frey said. “That’s what we focused on and I think we did a good job of that.”

Frey and freshman Keian Secrist combined on a three-hitter and scored all three Liberty High runs as the Lightning snapped a three-game losing skid in a district semifinal delayed from Friday by thunderstorms.

“This is the moment we’ve been building for all year long,” Cronk said. “We didn’t have a conference to play for but we knew that we’d be playing July 14, well we thought the 13th, but they were ready for the moment and they stepped up, all credit to our kids.”

Liberty High (11-21) will face Fairfield (28-8) in the District 10 title game on Monday at 7 p.m. in Fairfield.

Fairfield defeated Fort Madison 12-0 in five innings in the second semifinal on Saturday.

“It’s crazy,” Secrist said. “It’s the first time we’ve been here and it’s the best feeling ever.”

Frey reached on an error with one out in the eighth inning and came around to score the go-ahead run on a pair of wild pitches and a passed ball.

Secrist drew a walk and added an eighth inning insurance run before striking out two of the final three batters he faced in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.

The freshman struck out five in three innings of one-hit relief to earn the win.

“I knew I had good stuff and I just tried to keep within myself and throw what I had,” Secrist said. “I had to keep throwing strikes because I know I have a good defense behind me.”

Liberty High took an early lead when Secrist led off the second inning with a single and took advantage of three Washington errors to scored the game’s first run.

Washington pulled even in the fourth when Luke Turner led off with a single and came around to score.

That was the only run that Frey would allow in five strong innings.

The sophomore struck out five and walked four, allowing just a pair of singles.

“I just wanted to throw strikes,” Frey said. “We’ve had a good defense all year and I just wanted to just attack them and keep my pitch count down and keep the pressure on them and not us.”

It remained tied until the Lightning broke through for two runs without a hit in the eighth.

“All the credit to the kids all year long they have competed and competed and competed and they did again today,” Cronk said. “Those were big pitches by Nolan and Keian and some great at bats.”

Liberty High   010  000  02  –  3  2  1

Washington    000  100  00  –  1  3  4

W – Keian Secrist       L – Luke Turner