RAVENWOOD, Mo. — Mylee Wilmes has won a lot of games in her four years with Northeast Nodaway — 42 and counting.

Wilmes was a part of the core with last year’s senior class that turned the Bluejay program into a consistent winner. Wilmes settled in as the team’s second baseman and ended up winning two 275 Conference titles with that group of five seniors.

With that class graduating, Wilmes role on the field and with her team changed this season. The five seniors turned into four freshmen, who all are playing big roles as attrition to the roster meant that Wilmes and junior Blair Nelson were the only returning starters.

“I will take away all the friendships that I’ve made,” Wilmes said of her memories with the team. “That was my favorite part of it all. Each year with the new freshmen and stuff, it was fun making new friends. … It was really fun because they are all so amazing. It is nice to have new people on the team who bring different things.”

The year has been trying for the Bluejays in the win/loss columns with just three wins going into Wednesday’s Senior Night, but Wilmes’ demeanor hasn’t changed — and her teammates notice.

“Mylee — she’s just smiling all the time,” Nelson laughed. “She knows how to crack a joke at the right time. She just spreads joy to the team.”

She also has been able to spread her abilities to new spots on the diamond this year. That is what coach Payton Beason has appreciated about Wilmes’ attitude this year as the second baseman has moved between shortstop and first base this season depending on who is pitching.

“Mylee just shows up every day with a smile on her face,” Beason said. “She is pretty fun to have on the team. She does things the right way and she’s a good leader. I’ve thrown her in a a lot of different positions this year.”

Northeast Nodaway celebrated Wilmes on Wednesday night with her Senior Night against a larger team with 7-win Bishop LeBlond team out of the Midland Empire Conference coming to Ravenwood. The Bluejays fought and led late, but LeBlond rallied for an 8-5 win.

Bishop LeBlond got two runs in the top of the first with an error allowing the second to score. The Jays answered in the bottom of the first with freshman Paizlee Norman doubling then Nelson driving her in with a double.

Wilmes was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out, but March Rocha ended the threat with two strikeouts. From there, it was a pitchers’ duel between Rocha and Bluejay freshman Addi Thummel for several innings.

“Addi gave it her best,” Beason said. “She threw well. She never got down on herself. Maybe she wasn’t getting a couple calls, maybe they put the ball in play. She just kept rolling off of it, found her groove and kept going.”

Thummel went three innings and allowed four hits with just the one earned run. The first real trouble after the first came in the fourth inning with a leadoff single followed by a walk. Beason brought Norman in to pitch and she got out of the jam with two strikeouts and a grounder.

“I’m glad I have Paizlee as a backup and Bristol,” Thummel said. “Just having them to back me up is pretty nice.”

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Norman led off with a walk. Wilmes came up with two outs and Norman on second. She tied the game with a single to right.

“I’m just really proud of them,” WIlmes said of her team. “I know they wanted to do good because of Senior Night. I think they showed a lot of fight.”

Sophomore Bristol Hicks kept the line moving with a single and Thummel hit a ball to right that resulted in two runs scoring on an error. Aubrey Fetters drove in the fifth Bluejay run with a single and the lead was 5-2.

A two-out error allowed LeBlond to answer back with five unearned runs in the top of the sixth. The Eagles added another unearned run in the seventh to escape Ravenwood with the 8-5 win.

Norman pitched four innings with no earned runs on four hit with four strikeouts and three walks.

The Jays out-hit the Eagles 9-8, and the Eagles committed five errors compared to four for the Jays. Hicks had three hits to lead the Bluejays while Wilmes and Nelson each had two.

Northeast Nodaway wraps up the regular season on Thursday at East Harrison. They open districts next Thursday as the eight seed and will play ninth-seeded Stewartsville-Osborn at 6 p.m. in Maysville.

“A lot of talking, good defense and good at-bats,” Thummel said is the key to ending the season strong.