Northeast Nodaway's baseball team has accomplished a lot over the last two years -- back to back conference titles, two winning seasons, and a record of 17-9 over the last two years. But one accomplishment has remained elusive -- winning a district game. That goal will have to wait at least one more year after the Bluejays were dispatched from the District Tournament in Maryville Tuesday by Braymer 5-2. Northeast ended their season at 7-3 after having their seven-game winning streak snapped.
It looked like it might be a long year after Northeast dropped its first game to a loaded Mid-Buchanan squad 20-4 and then lost to South Nodaway 2-0 to start off the season at 0-2. But then they picked things up and won their next seven games, clinching the conference title in the process. Fielding, a big area of concern identified by Coach Vance Proffitt at the beginning of the year, was an asset, while the pitching and hitting were already areas of strength. But with the loss of Garet Jackson, Andrew Faustlin, and Austin Jones from Northeast's 11-player squad, Northeast's first challenge will be to field nine players for next year; there were only 14 boys to choose from this year. The next is to fill the seniors' footsteps and work towards goals of having another winning season, winning a district game, and defending their two-time conference title. If Proffitt can find some incoming freshmen to field a team and the players buy into his system like they have the last two years, there is no reason why Northeast can't contend for another conference title next year provided they stay healthy.
Freshman Dylan Mildfeldt, who had never played baseball before, filled a huge hole in left field and caught a towering fly ball that could have been trouble Tuesday night; he showed himself to be a capable hitter and bunter. Another freshman, Brayden Welch, took one for the team as Proffitt sent him up to bat for Mildfeldt to start the 7th in hopes of jump-starting Northeast's fortunes. Mildfeldt reentered and stole second and third, coming in to score when catcher Logan O'Dell's throw got away into left field, making it 5-2. Andrew Faustlin, playing his last game as a Bluejay, slid into first and beat out an infield hit after hitting a slow roller down the third base line, but Rowdy West hit a sharply-hit ball right at the first baseman to end the threat.
That was a typical sequence for Northeast, as the Bobcats bent but didn't break against the Bluejays. Northeast hit the ball hard much of the night, but usually right at people. Garet Jackson's night at the plate typified Northeast's struggles against pitcher Wade Phillips, who usually threw strikes and trusted his fielders to do the work. Jackson hit a hard shot right at first which could have been a triple into the right field corner, but it was snared by the first baseman for one out. Jackson hit a shot in the gap that would have been out of Ravenwood's park, but was caught in the gap for another extra base hit taken away.
Northeast, who had been shut out by Phillips and the Bobcats, got a glimmer of hope after he was shaken up after a pitch in the fifth inning. Phillips, who had only walked two up to that point, began fighting the strike zone and walked Garet Jackson and Andrew Faustlin with two outs. Rowdy West hit a single up the middle to score Jackson and then Faustlin and Jackson successfully pulled off a double steal, with Faustlin safe at third on a close play. But then Andrew Freemyer popped out to end the threat with Braymer still up 5-1.
While Phillips was tying up Northeast's batters, Bluejay starting pitcher Freemyer was fighting the strike zone early. Drake Parker walked to force in Braymer's first run in the top of the first and Logan O'Dell's single in the second made it 2-0, scoring Brent Campbell. Freemyer's errant pickoff throw scored Austin Hall in the third, and Phillips' single to score Ty Hays later that inning, making it 4-0, finished him and forced Proffitt to go with Faustlin. Faustlin stopped the bleeding, only allowing Wade Phillips' RBI double in the fifth to put Braymer up 5-0, but Northeast could not get a key hit to get back into the game.
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