HALLSVILLE, Mo. - The state-ranked New Bloomfield Wildcats managed only three hits and were crippled by five errors in Wednesday night's 10-4 non-conference loss to the Hallsville Indians.
New Bloomfield, ranked No. 3 in Class 2, slipped to 4-5 on the season.
"It was bad all-around," Wildcats head coach Justin Forsythe said Thursday afternoon. "We didn't compete, we didn't show up and we didn't play hard."
New Bloomfield raced out to a fast lead with two runs in the top of the first inning. Senior starter Clay Jensen led off with a single to right, senior shortstop Grant Nichols drew a walk and Jensen came around to score from second when senior third baseman Tyler Fennewald reached on an error.
After senior catcher Derek Shikles lined out to second, junior second baseman Zach Burton's double to left brought home Nichols. Hallsville countered with three runs in its half of the first to go in front, but the Wildcats regained the lead with two runs in the second.
Nichols reached on an error, allowing junior right fielder Tommy Bedsworth to race home to tie the game. Fennewald followed by grounding out to short, scoring Jensen to put New Bloomfield back in front at 4-3.
The Indians, though, put up two runs in their half of the second to take the lead for good and then pulled away behind four runs in the third and one in the fourth.
Burton finished 1-for-4 and Jensen and Bedsworth were both 1-for-3 to account for the Wildcats' hits.
Jensen went just four innings in being pinned with the loss. He was rocked for 10 runs - only three earned - on seven hits, walked four and struck out two.
"Clay wasn't his normal self, but there were some things that came into play that he couldn't control," Forsythe said. "He has to figure out how to work past that."
New Bloomfield travels to Jamestown for a pair of games Saturday. The Wildcats face Tuscumbia at noon and then play the host Eagles at 2 p.m.