Defense and pitching power BGM

BROOKLYN - The final play told the entire story of the game.

After Belle Plaine's hot hitting put a runner on with one out, BGM shortstop Kaiden Fiebelkorn fielded a slow hopper over second base and threw to first where Jake Tibbetts scooped a short hop. The play turned a possible rally into a game-ending double play.

The Bears defense supported a solid outing by starter Tanner Jansen, helping BGM top Belle Plaine, 4-2, in an Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A District 11 semifinal Thursday night at Brooklyn. The Bears (21-9) advance to Saturday's district title game against Iowa Valley (17-6), beginning at 7 p.m. at Sully.

'A win is a win,” said Jansen, adding, 'It's a great feeling after the game when you come out on top.”

Jansen (8-0) lowered his 2.20 earned-run average thanks to his teammates. The BGM defense routinely made the not-so routine plays the last six innings. Fiebelkorn had a key barehanded catch and throw for an out in the second.

Tibbetts made a nice scoop for an out in the third, which was the lone 1-2-3 inning for Jansen. Center fielder Austin Keller made a diving catch in the fourth.

A relay throw retired the final out of the fifth, ending a two-run rally by the Plainesmen. In the sixth, a fly ball was dropped, but left fielder Kyle Doty picked up and threw home to get the force, keeping Belle Plaine from cutting into the 4-2 lead.

'Our defense played a great game,” Jansen said. 'I don't know what I would do without these guys.”

Jansen scattered 11 hits with six strikeouts. He was efficient with his pitches, getting balls in play and setting up the defense to do its job. He has altered his mentality from a strikeout pitcher earlier this season.

'Tanner has matured greatly throughout the course of the year,” first-year BGM head coach Colin Gisel said. 'He does a nice job of being a pitcher and using his defense behind him to keep his pitch count down.”

The Bears managed just four hits, but capitalized on four errors to build a 4-0 lead after three. In the third, a dropped fly ball and then an errant throw led to Jansen and Tibbetts to score with two outs. They proved to be the decisive runs.

An inning earlier, Dylan Schafbuch reached on an error, leading to a 2-0 lead when courtesy runner Keegan James scored on Mayson Sherwood's bases-loaded walk. Sherwood, who led BGM with two hits, scored the first run, leading off the game with a base hit, stealing second and crossing on Fiebelkorn's groundout.

The Bears worked to improve baserunning, pressuring opposing defenses. The approach paid dividends.

'We make the comparison baserunning is like special teams in football,” Gisel said. 'People don't always practice it but it can win or lose you baseball games.”

BGM made its first state appearance last year, falling in the quarterfinals to state runner-up Mason City Newman. The Bears lost five key players to graduation, but they have the ability to overcome two more tough foes.

'These kids have been resilient throughout the season,” Gisel said. 'They just want to go out and compete.”

Belle Plaine (12-14) had the opportunity to earn the win, but miscues played a crucial role in the outcome. The Plainsmen made some errors in the field and on the bases. Belle Plaine was more offensive, outhitting the Bears. Seven hits came in the fifth and sixth innings.

Trey Squires led the Plainsmen with three hits and an RBI. Chance Baburek and Jacob Ehlen added two hits apiece for Belle Plaine.

'We had a good game plan coming in,” Belle Plaine Coach Shawn Welsh said. 'A lot of the outs we made were hard-hit outs. We just couldn't get enough clutch hits when we needed.”

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