NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Senior shortstop Grant Nichols doubled twice and drove in five runs as the Wildcats ended the regular season with their fifth straight victory by toppling the Thunderbirds on Tuesday night.
New Bloomfield (16-7) put up four runs in the bottom of the second inning, before North Callaway (9-16) pulled within a run on junior catcher Wyatt Branson's three-run home run in the top of the third. The Wildcats countered with an eight-run outburst in their half of the third to make it 12-3, while the Thunderbirds tacked on three runs in the fifth.
New Bloomfield tallied its final two runs in the sixth and Branson smacked a two-run homer for North Callaway in the seventh to account for the final margin.
Nichols went 3-for-4 and scored a run as the Wildcats finished with eight hits. Junior right fielder Tommy Bedsworth was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scored twice, while freshman first baseman Clayton Martin finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Senior starter Clay Jensen was hitless in five at-bats but scored three times and also had an RBI.
Jensen - the first of three New Bloomfield pitchers - allowed three earned runs on only three hits over four innings to log the win. He struck out eight and issued three walks.
Branson finished 3-for-4 and scored three times as North Callaway collected seven hits. Sophomore center fielder Adam Reno was 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, while junior starter AJ Stubblefield went 1-for-2 and scored twice.
Stubblefield, the first of four pitchers for the Thunderbirds, gave up four runs - only one earned - on just four hits in two innings to take the loss. He struck out two and walked one.
New Bloomfield is the host and top seed for the Class 2, District 8 Tournament. The Wildcats earned a first-round bye and will play either No. 4 seed Russellville or No. 5 Iberia in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
"We're playing really well at the right time," New Bloomfield head coach Justin Forsythe said. "Hopefully we can get on another (postseason) run."
North Callaway is the No. 5 seed for the Class 3, District 8 Tournament at Mokane. The Thunderbirds face No. 4 Montgomery County in the first round at 2 p.m. Monday.