Jensen, Wildcats whip Westran in Class 2 sectional

Play tonight at state-ranked Scotland Co. in quarterfinals

COLUMBIA - The last three weeks have featured the New Bloomfield Wildcats' best brand of baseball this season, according to head coach Justin Forsythe.

As a result, New Bloomfield now finds itself a win away from a berth in the state semifinals.

Junior starter Clay Jensen threw six innings on three days rest and was a key component in the Wildcats' 13-hit rampage in their 9-2 victory over the Westran Hornets in a Class 2 sectional Monday night at Hickman High School.

New Bloomfield (15-9) - winners of 15 of its last 18 - will now travel to the extreme northeast part of the state for a Class 2 quarterfinal tussle with the ninth-ranked Scotland County Tigers at 6 tonight in Memphis. Scotland County (22-2) rolled to an 11-1 triumph at Louisiana in sectional play Monday night.

"It's nice and it's rewarding for all the hard work the boys have put in the last two months," Forsythe said Tuesday afternoon. "We're here, in the final eight, with the chance to go to the final four next week."

Westran had two on with two outs in the top of the first inning Monday night, before Jensen struck out Parker Howard to retire the side.

Hornets starter Mathew Edwards needed just three pitches to set aside New Bloomfield senior second baseman Sam Niedergerke and junior shortstop Grant Nichols, respectively, in the bottom of the inning.

Senior center fielder Tucker Lane followed by coaxing a full-count walk and advanced to second on a single by junior third baseman Tyler Fennewald. Junior catcher Derek Shikles followed with a hard-hit ball that was mishandled by Westran left fielder Tyler Barron, allowing Lane to score and give the Wildcats an early edge.

Jensen moved through the Hornets' lineup in order in the top of the second. He then reached base on Hornets third baseman Jacob Denslow's error leading off the bottom of the inning and reached second on the play.

Freshman Nick Hammann ran for Jensen and promptly stole third base. Senior first baseman Boyd Kempker lined the first pitch he saw into center field for an RBI double to put New Bloomfield on top 2-0.

The Wildcats left the bases loaded to end the inning, an opportunity Westran profited from in the top of the third.

Shortstop Austin Sears started the inning with a double and moved to third on Barron's groundout. After Denslow walked, his successful steal of second forced an error by Niedergerke.

The miscue allowed Sears to dash home with the Hornets' first run. After Edwards drew a walk, Denslow stole third and then tied the game on an error by Fennewald.

Edwards also tried to score on the play but was tagged out by Shikles at the plate. First baseman Morgan Wallace lined out to Fennewald to end the Westran threat.

"When it got to 2-2, I saw our guys perk up and see we were in a dogfight now," Forsythe said. "... The pressure kind of helped us a bit."

Fennewald was the first of five New Bloomfield batters to reach base in the bottom of the third. Shikles doubled home Fennewald to help the Wildcats retake the lead for good.

Jensen followed with a single to score Shikles. Nichols drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs to bring home Hammann and make it 5-2.

Forsythe praised his team's aggressive swings early in the count against Edwards. He alerted his batters to Edwards' solid fastball and "plus" curveball, telling them to jump on the former.

"We didn't work the count unless we had to; we just jumped on fastballs and didn't miss them," Forsythe said.

Fennewald singled off Westran reliever Austin Dale to start the fourth. Shikles' double sent Fennewald to third, while Jensen reached on second baseman Parker Howard's one-out error to load the bases.

Kempker walked to force home Fennewald, then freshman right fielder Zach Burton grounded out to Dale in the next at-bat to score Shikles and push New Bloomfield's advantage to 7-2.

Jensen singled home Lane and Wiler with two outs in the fifth to conclude the Wildcats' scoring.

After tossing a complete game in the District 8 championship win over Linn, Jensen allowed two unearned runs on six hits, struck out two and walked three to earn the victory Monday night.

"His velocity wasn't where we wanted it to be on three days' rest," Forsythe said. "He pitched to contact, his breaking ball moved well and things worked out for him."

Jensen finished 2-for-4 as the Nos. 4-7 batters in New Bloomfield's lineup accounted for nine of the team's hits. Fennewald was 3-for-4, while Shikles went 2-for-4 and junior reliever Brady Wiler was 2-for-4 with a double.

"We're peaking right now and it shows because our pitching is on point and our best hitting has come in the last three weeks," Forsythe said.

He believes those variables can carry New Bloomfield past Scotland County tonight and into the Class 2 semifinals.

"We're going to do what got us here," Forsythe said. "We're going to put our noses to the dirt and do the best we can."