O'FALLON - Grant Nichols was dealing with a mixed bag of emotions.
His New Bloomfield Wildcats were on the cusp of an improbable state championship, after a befuddling 0-6 start. But after taking the season down to the last day possible, the Wildcats' junior shortstop couldn't help but feel like something had just eluded his grasp.
"... Having that first-place trophy right there in front of you and not taking it home is just hard to take in, I guess," Nichols said.
"Just almost there."
The Wildcats flourished and peaked in the season's final 21 games. But New Bloomfield was unable to overcome the bump that was the top-ranked and defending state champion Valle Catholic Warriors.
The Wildcats' offense - so explosive in Wednesday night's 15-2, semifinal demolition of Norwood - mustered just three hits in a 7-1 loss to Valle Catholic in the Class 2 state championship Thursday night at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.
The title game - delayed twice Thursday due to rain and thunderstorms in the St. Louis area - ended New Bloomfield's dream run at 17-10, along with its six-game playoff winning streak.
The Wildcats were seeking their state-record eighth state baseball championship and second in the last four seasons. The Warriors (30-5) secured their second consecutive state title and third overall.
"We're all going to feel like we left some stuff on the field, we left everything we had on that field," New Bloomfield head coach Justin Forsythe said. "I'm proud of where we came from and, ultimately, we'd like to win a state title, but we're going to work our butts off this summer and fall, and try to get our butts back here."
Valle Catholic senior starter Andrew Basler walked Wildcats senior left fielder Sam Niedergerke to lead off the game. Nichols then swung at an 0-1 offering and grounded into a double play, the first of three that the Wildcats would hit into on the night. Senior center fielder Tucker Lane popped out to right field to end the inning.
New Bloomfield trotted junior starter Tyler Fennewald out to the mound and he kicked off the bottom of the first by getting Warriors junior shortstop Connor Basler to pop out to Nichols.
Andrew Basler lined a one-out single into right field for the game's first hit to set up the opening score. Senior first baseman Dan Bergtholdt put a jolt behind Fennewald's 0-1 pitch, maneuvering it inside the foul pole and over the right-field wall for a two-run home run to give Valle the early advantage.
Junior catcher Derek Shikles picked up the Wildcats' first hit with a one-out single to right in the second. Senior third baseman Brady Wiler reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt that forced Shikles at second, while junior second baseman Clay Jensen followed by popping out to shortstop to close the inning.
Fennewald settled down after the Bergtholdt shot, retiring the Warriors in order in the bottom of the second to keep New Bloomfield's deficit at 2-0.
After the Wildcats went quietly in the third, they found their deficit become deeper when Valle erupted for four runs in their half of the inning. Sophomore left fielder Tyler Uding coaxed a leadoff walk, but was forced at second when junior shortstop Connor Basler reached on a fielder's choice.
Andrew Basler then delivered a double to left, scoring Connor Basler to make it 3-0. Bergtholdt walked on a 3-1 pitch, before senior center fielder Koltlyn Schilly hit an RBI double nearly identical to Andrew Basler's into left to bring home Andrew Basler. Senior third baseman Tyler Schuh singled home Bergtholdt and Schilly scored when sophomore catcher Cole Wood grounded back to Fennewald, stretching the Warriors' advantage to 6-0.
The inning chased Fennewald from the game. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits, walked a pair and struck out none in suffering the loss.
"We were going to go backwards at them, they're a great ballclub," Forsythe said. "One through six (in the lineup), we wanted to attack them backwards, but they made adjustments at the plate like we did all year.
Nichols reached on a throwing error to start the fourth, but the Wildcats' threat was quelled again when Fennewald grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Bergtholdt topped off Valle's scoring, hitting an RBI sacrifice fly off Jensen - who relieved Fennewald - with one out in the fourth to make it 7-0.
One night removed from a complete-game win over Norwood, Jensen walked one and allowed an unearned run on two hits in three innings.
After a Shikles leadoff double in the fifth, Wiler singled and advanced to second on Warriors senior second baseman Andrew Grieshaber's fielding error. The miscue allowed Shikles to score New Bloomfield's lone run.
Wiler doubled with two outs in the top of the seventh, the final hit given up by Andrew Basler in his complete-game victory. He finished with four strikeouts and two walks.
"He just comes straight at you," Forsythe said. "He has a fastball in the mid-80s and I thought we hit the ball well, people just caught them and things didn't go our way."
Shikles was 2-for-3 and Wiler finished 1-for-3.
Wood went 2-for-3 and Andrew Basler was 2-for-4 as Valle collected nine hits.
The Wildcats return five starters next season to a team that already put itself among a select few New Bloomfield squads. Now Forsythe wants to them to expect to play for state titles.
"It's great and it's great for the program," Forsythe said. "But it's not about me, it's about these kids coming back, winning district titles and getting to final fours every year."
Nichols - conflicted about his feelings after the game - minced no words about where he and his teammates have been and where they're headed.
"It feels great to be a part of the tradition of New Bloomfield and what it's going to become," Nichols said.