Final four notebook: Bell City baseball team welcomes early success against Northwest

According to members of the Bell City baseball team, it's been a rare feat for them to score in the first inning of games, so it was a pleasant surprise when they were able to do so in their Class 1 state semifinal Tuesday.

"It helped me know we were here to hit, and as a pitcher, anytime you know you're going to get runs, you love it," starter Austin Hicks said with a grin following his team's 11-1 victory over Northwest (Hughesville).

The Cubs never trailed once third baseman Nate Finney ripped a 2-2 pitch up the middle in the bottom of the first inning for an RBI single.

Finney, the three-hole hitter, went 3 for 3 on the day and was hit by a pitch to pace the Bell City offense.

"My first plan was to get a bunt for a hit," Finney said. "I was going to try to bunt for a hit because my shoulder's kind of been hurting me, but I missed the bunt, and so I was like, 'You know what? I'm just going to swing.' I fouled the next pitch off, and then I hit the next one up the middle and we scored a run."

Simple preparation

Bell City's Austin Hicks throws to first base for an out against Northwest during a Class 1 semifinal, Tuesday, June 2, 2015 in O Fallon, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

The Bell City baseball player's minds weren't bogged down with too much information on their opponent in their first trip to the state final four.

The relaxed approach from coach Justin Simpher led to error-free baseball from the Cubs, who showed little nerves Tuesday.

Finney said the only thing he knew about the Mustangs was their record, which was 13-14 before they were dropped into the third-place game by the Cubs.

"Yeah, I try not to fill their heads with too much because they're teenage kids," Simpher said. "We knew some stuff on them. We kind of talked with our pitcher with what we thought with the hitters and stuff, but as far as fielding, most everybody else has just got to go out and field ground balls. We let the pitcher and catcher kind of know what our approach was, and they went out and did a good job."

Hicks, who started on the mound, had talked with his coaches about his approach, but he had not looked at the opponent's batting averages until shortly before throwing his first pitch. He allowed seven hits -- only No. 2 hitter Alex Brockman and No. 3 hitter Trey Green had multiple hits.

"We learned that no matter who the team is that we can play our game and we can play it good and we can win the game -- if we play our game," Finney said. "That's what we plan to do every game."

Coming up

Bell City's Jesse Smith celebrates as he crosses home in the second inning against Northwest during a Class 1 semifinal, Tuesday, June 2, 2015 in O Fallon, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

The Cubs will face Atlanta in the Class 1 title game at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Hornets (14-3) defeated Hurley 10-0 in a semifinal Tuesday evening.

"I just look at the game that we've got ahead of us. I don't look before," Simpher said. "Tonight we'll go back with some stuff that we've got, and then we'll watch a little bit and kind of figure it all out then. My approach is I've got to worry about the first game before the second one. Once I figure out what's going to happen next, then we get to work and figure it all out."

Peyton Maddox or Bobby Wright will pitch for the Cubs, and Simpher planned to make his decision based on the matchup after his team watched the final few innings of the game between Atlanta and Hurley.

Wright, a sophomore, is 5-2 on the season with a 2.09 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. He's recorded a team-high 57 strikeouts. Maddox, a junior, is 5-1 with a 2.38 ERA. He's pitched 44 2/3 innings and struck out 42 batters.

Bell City's Brandon Abner looks to the umpire to confirm their 11-1 win by run-rule against Northwest after sliding home in a Class 1 semifinal Tuesday, June 2, 2015 in O Fallon, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

"Just keep having fun -- it's baseball," sophomore Cole Nichols said about the team's mindset entering the title game. "Whoever we're going to play, we're going to give them our best ballgame."