O'FALLON, Mo. - Grant Nichols was dealing with a mixed bag of emotions.
His New Bloomfield team was on the cusp of an improbable state championship, following a befuddling 0-6 start to the year. But after taking the season down to the last day, the Wildcats' junior shortstop couldn't help but feel like something had just eluded his grasp.
"Having that first-place trophy right there in front of you and not taking it home is just hard to take in, I guess," Nichols said. "Just almost there."
The Wildcats peaked in the season's final 21 games, but New Bloomfield was unable to overcome the hump that was the top-ranked and defending state champion Valle Catholic Warriors.
The Wildcats' offense - so explosive in Wednesday's 15-2 semifinal demolition of Norwood - mustered just three hits in a 7-1 loss to Valle in the Class 2 state championship Thursday night at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.
The title game - delayed twice Thursday due to rain and thunderstorms in the St. Louis area - ended New Bloomfield's dream season at 17-10.
The Wildcats were seeking their state-record eighth state baseball championship and second in the last four seasons. The Warriors (30-5) secured their third overall title.
"We left everything we had on that field," New Bloomfield head coach Justin Forsythe said. "I'm proud of where we came from and, ultimately, we'd like to win a state title. But we're going to work our (rear ends) off this summer and fall and try to get our (rear ends) back here."
Valle senior Andrew Basler walked Wildcats senior left fielder Sam Niedergerke to lead off the game. Nichols then swung at an 0-1 offering and grounded into a double play, the first of three that the Wildcats would hit into on the night. Senior center fielder Tucker Lane popped out to right field to end the inning.
New Bloomfield junior starter Tyler Fennewald gave up a one-out single to Andrew Basler before Dan Bergtholdt maneuvered a blast inside the foul pole and over the right-field wall for a two-run home run.
Junior catcher Derek Shikles picked up the Wildcats' first hit with a one-out single in the second, but New Bloomfield failed to score in the inning.
Fennewald settled down after the Bergtholdt shot, retiring the Warriors in order in the bottom of the second to keep New Bloomfield's deficit at 2-0.
After New Bloomfield went quietly in the third, Valle erupted for four runs in its half of the inning. Andrew Basler delivered a double that scored Connor Basler to make it 3-0 and after Bergtholdt walked, Koltlyn Schilly hit an RBI double nearly identical to Andrew Basler's. Tyler Schuh then singled home Bergtholdt before Schilly scored when Cole Wood grounded back to Fennewald, stretching the Warriors' advantage to 6-0.
The inning chased Fennewald from the game. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits and walked a pair while suffering the loss.
"We were going to go backwards at them, they're a great ballclub," Forsythe said. "One through six (in the lineup), we wanted to attack them backwards, but they made adjustments at the plate like we did all year."
Nichols reached on a throwing error to start the fourth, but the Wildcats' threat was quelled again when Fennewald grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Bergtholdt topped off Valle's scoring, hitting an RBI sacrifice fly off Clay Jensen - who relieved Fennewald - with one out in the fourth to make it 7-0.
One night removed from a complete-game win over Norwood, Jensen walked one and allowed an unearned run on two hits in three innings.
After a Shikles leadoff double in the fifth, Wiler singled and advanced to second on an error that allowed Shikles to score New Bloomfield's lone run.
Wiler doubled with two outs in the top of the seventh, the final hit given up by Andrew Basler in his complete-game victory. He finished with four strikeouts and two walks.
"He just comes straight at you," Forsythe said. "He has a fastball in the mid-80s and I thought we hit the ball well, people just caught them and things didn't go our way."
Shikles was 2-for-3 and Wiler finished 1-for-3 to account for all of New Bloomfield's hits.
Wood went 2-for-3 and Andrew Basler was 2-for-4 as Valle collected nine hits.
The Wildcats return five starters next season to a team that already put itself among a select few New Bloomfield squads. Now Forsythe wants to them to expect to play for state titles.
"It's great and it's great for the program," Forsythe said. "But it's not about me, it's about these kids coming back, winning district titles and getting to Final Fours every year."
Nichols minced no words about where he and his teammates accomplished and will accomplish.
"It feels great to be a part of the tradition of New Bloomfield and what it's going to become," he said.