Wildcats 'excited to be a part of that final four'

New Bloomfield advances with 7-1 win over Scotland Co. in Class 2 quarterfinals

The postseason ride will continue for the New Bloomfield Wildcats. Next stop: about 80 miles east for the Class 2 state semifinals.

The Wildcats - 0-6 to start the season - are final-four bound after a 7-1 quarterfinal victory over the ninth-ranked Scotland County Tigers on Wednesday night in Memphis.

New Bloomfield (16-9) will clash with the Norwood Pirates (19-8) in the Class 2 semifinals at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon.

Norwood advanced after edging Marionville 4-2 in quarterfinal play Wednesday night. Top-ranked Valle Catholic (28-5) will face West Platte (19-5) in the other Class 2 semifinal at 4:30 p.m. next Wednesday.

The Wildcats - winners of five in a row and 16 of their last 19 - will pursue their state-record eighth baseball championship.

New Bloomfield's first six titles came in Class 1A under the late Rod Haley, while Brandon Talbot guided the Wildcats to a Class 2 championship in 2011.

"We're excited to be a part of that final four and that is something we've talked about since the beginning of the year, but first we wanted to get that district championship," New Bloomfield head coach Justin Forsythe said Thursday. "... Once it happened, things have fallen into place for us to make a run."

Wildcats junior starter Tyler Fennewald had to shake off a rough start as Scotland County put its first two batters on base in the top of the first inning Wednesday night. Second baseman Gage Dodge drew a five-pitch walk and shortstop Aaron Buford sent Fennewald's full-count offering into center for a single.

Fennewald dodged further trouble and ended the inning when Dodge was tagged out at third on first baseman Landyn Swearingen's fielder's choice.

"It started shaky ... and Tyler worked out of a jam," Forsythe said.

New Bloomfield answered by putting two runners on with one out in the bottom of the first. Junior shortstop Grant Nichols coaxed a walk out of Tigers starter Grant Campbell and went to second on senior center fielder Tucker Lane's single to left.

Fennewald, though, flied out to left and junior catcher Derek Shikles popped out to center to wrap up a scoreless first.

Again, Fennewald wove through trouble after Scotland County center fielder Jacob Blessing tripled to center to start the second. Fennewald got left fielder Jacob Hull to pop out to second, struck out right fielder Justin McKee and then got third baseman Kyler Burkhiser to line out to center in stranding Blessing at third.

Fennewald struck out six in the complete-game victory. He gave up seven hits, an earned run and walked two while throwing 105 pitches.

"In that quarterfinal game, I knew the guys would be nervous with the stakes being where they were," Forsythe said. "(Fennewald) was nervous, but once we got that lead in the second inning, I told him, "Tyler, let's go attack hitters,' and he took advantage of that."

New Bloomfield gave Fennewald some cushion when it put up four runs in the second. Campbell allowed a leadoff double to junior third baseman Brady Wiler and then hit junior second baseman Clay Jensen with a pitch.

After freshman right fielder Zach Burton's one-out single loaded the bases, senior left fielder Sam Niedergerke doubled home Jensen and Wiler to put the Wildcats in front.

Nichols followed suit with a single to score Burton and Niedergerke, extending New Bloomfield's advantage to 4-0.

"Once we score first, it lets us sit back and say we can get back to not being nervous and do what got us here, do the things that make us great and ride that success," Forsythe said.

Shikles added to the Wildcats' edge in the fourth with a one-out sacrifice fly to center to score Nichols. Buford's one-out single to bring home pinch-hitter Mason VanHoozen in the top of the fifth represented Scotland County's lone run.

Senior first baseman Boyd Kempker's single scored Jensen with one out in New Bloomfield's half of the fifth, then raced home on a Burton double to close out the scoring.

"We're making (batting) adjustments we need to make and my kids are sticking to the approach we've talked about," Forsythe said. "It's fun to watch and the kids know we're a defensive team that can absolutely swing the sticks."

Kempker, Nichols and Burton each finished 2-for-3 as New Bloomfield cranked out 11 hits. Jensen went 1-for-1 and Niedergerke was 1-for-3, while Lane, Fennewald and Wiler were all 1-for-4.

The double-digit hitting effort was the Wildcats' fifth in as many games.

"I don't know how to describe it other than we're locked in," Forsythe said. "Right now, our approach is dead-on and we're beating everybody's No. 1 (pitcher).

"We know if we want to win a state title, we have to beat everyone's No. 1 so there's no question (of who is better)."

If New Bloomfield logs two more wins, there certainly won't be any debate.