Junior shortstop Grant Nichols was perfect at the plate for the second time in as many nights to help the New Bloomfield Wildcats sustain their recent surge.
Nichols went 4-for-4 with a double, a run batted in and two runs scored as New Bloomfield blasted the Iberia Rangers 11-1 in five innings Friday night.
"I think Grant was pressuring himself early in the year when he was struggling and he's on fire now," Wildcats head coach Justin Forsythe said. "He's in that No. 2 hole and that's helping out."
New Bloomfield (6-7) amassed a season-high 17 hits to win for the sixth time in its last seven games.
"We have an approach we want to take to the plate and the guys are excelling at it right now," Forsythe said. "We're always in a good hitting count."
The Wildcats opened the scoring when senior center fielder Tucker Lane's RBI single drove in senior second baseman Sam Niedergerke in the bottom of the first.
New Bloomfield stretched its lead in the second behind a seven-run onslaught. Nichols singled home a run with one out, then scored along with freshman right fielder Nick Hammann on Lane's one-out, two-run double. Senior left fielder Brady Wiler added an RBI single, while junior pitcher Clay Jensen helped his own cause with a run-scoring single to conclude the Wildcats' scoring in the inning.
Junior third baseman Tyler Fennewald hit an RBI single in New Bloomfield's four-run fifth. Wiler followed with an RBI double, while junior catcher Derek Shikles doubled home two runs to invoke the run rule.
The run support was more than enough for Jensen, who struck out nine in the complete-game win. He gave up an earned run on just four hits and didn't allow a walk.
"I feel like he's become a complete pitcher for us," Forsythe said. "He's got hitters guessing right now and we hope he can get better."
Lane was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Wiler went 3-for-4 and scored once. Fennewald was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and Shikles finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
The Wildcats (5-2-1) prevailed in the junior varsity game 7-3.
New Bloomfield hosts non-conference foe Harrisburg on Tuesday. The JV game will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7.