As she started her home run trot, Sarah Baldwin had this feeling that everything would be just fine.

The Chillicothe sophomore provided some fireworks at the plate, but it was her consistent dominance on the mound that stole the show Monday afternoon. In a masterful effort, Baldwin mowed down Benton's lineup time and again and helped her team cruise to a 5-0 victory in the Class 3 District 16 championship game at Heritage Park.

Baldwin racked up a season-high 17 strikeouts against the Cardinals, lifting Chillicothe to its fifth consecutive district title.

"When she hits, that right there makes her pitch better," said Stan Baldwin, Chillicothe's coach and Sarah's father. "When she gets up and hits well, she fine-tunes it.

"She's the real deal."

While Benton struggled against Baldwin during a 1-0 loss earlier this season, the Cardinals turned in one of its most impressive offensive performances just a few days before. In a back-and-forth tussle on Saturday, Benton (19-9) blasted a pair of two-run home runs in the same inning during a 14-6 drubbing of top-seeded Maryville.

After battling for a narrow victory late last month, Sarah Baldwin knew better than to underestimate Benton.

"They hit the ball like crazy," Sarah Baldwin said. "We played them earlier, and they struggled against me. So I knew they were going to hit it a lot better than they did the first time we played them."

Only it was Baldwin who provided all the run-support she would need in the bottom of the first inning.

On a 1-1 count, she rocketed a change-up from Benton pitcher Alex Arevalo far over the left-center field fence. Baldwin rounded the bases again in the fourth inning, as the Hornets (22-5) scored two insurance runs during the frame.

Chillicothe scored two more in the fifth to all but put the game out of reach.

"You face a really good pitcher, and your margin of error is pretty tight," Benton coach Greg Reynolds said. "We felt like we could scrap out one or two, but when you get down four or five runs, boy that's tough.

"Tip your hat to her. She's a great pitcher."

Although he tried to regroup his team, Reynolds could only watch as Baldwin's devastating riseball induced 17 strikeouts - 14 swinging. She struck out the side in five innings - including a 1-2-3 seventh - and punched out seven straight batters at one point.

Benton senior center field Hannah Moore broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth inning with a one-out grounder that skittered down the third base line. It was the only time the ball left the infield off the bat of a Cardinals' hitter.

The Hornets don't have much time to savor the win, however, and play Platte County on Wednesday in Platte City. The Pirates bounced Chillicothe from the playoffs each of the past two seasons, while the Hornets only have a 1-4 record during their past four trips to the postseason.

With two more victories, Chillicothe would earn a trip to the state tournament - which takes place at Heritage Park - for the first time.

"We want to keep going. We've done this, and we want to go on," Stan Baldwin said. "We want to be back here in two weeks."

A youthful Benton team continued to make strides this season despite starting several underclassmen and lose only two senior starters - Moore and second baseman Hayley Gay.

"We've got to find a way to score on the really good pitchers consistently, and we're still not quite where we want to be," Reynolds said. "But I couldn't be prouder of the girls. We had a great year. and we'll just try to keep climbing."

DeKalb 10, King City 0

The Tigers claimed their first district title in program history in breakout fashion thanks to two first-inning home runs in the Class 1 District 16 championship game in Rosendale.

After a pair of singles started the game, Kaley Pyles jacked a three-run homer over the left-field fence, and teammate Tymber Johnson drove one to almost the exact same spot just two batters later. By the end of the first inning, the Tigers (13-11) had a seven-run lead.

"I felt like we had a all the pieces to the puzzle this year," said DeKalb coach Cori Elms, who has coached the team since its inception. "We were hoping that we would score a couple runs to take the pressure off, and we were excited that everyone got to be a part of that."

With a huge lead from the get-go, Tigers starter Whitney Wardlow never allowed the Wildkats - winners of six straight district titles - back in the contest. King City managed just three hits, while five DeKalb batters recorded multi-hit efforts.

DeKalb will face a stern test during Class 1 sectional play on Wednesday, when the Tigers are scheduled to take on defending state champion Jefferson at 5:30 p.m. at Grant City. Last month, the Eagles (19-4) bested DeKalb, 1-0, in a pitching battle. The only run scored on a Wardlow wild pitch.

Sports reporter Andy Meyer can be reached

at andymeyer@npgco.com