Jackson's Bolen mows down Scott City in baseball season opener

Jackson pitcher Alex Bolen left the Indians wanting for only one thing after their season opener Monday at Whitey Herzog Stadium.

The senior struck out 13 Scott City batters and allowed one hit to lead Jackson to a 13-1 win in five innings.

"We had to take infield because of that," Jackson coach Tatum Kitchen said about a short practice session after the game. "He was so dominant on the hill we needed to get more work."

But Kitchen said those words admiring rather than complaining.

Bolen allowed just three balls to be put in play and walked just one batter in his first varsity start. It was a dominating first step for a pitcher who threw just nine innings of varsity baseball as a junior.

The ball slips past Jackson shortstop Laban Petzoldt as Scott City baserunner Austin Atchley steals second base during the third inning Monday. (Laura Simon)

"I couldn't ask for a better start than that," Kitchen said. "We know Scott City every year is going to be good at the plate, so we're just thrilled to get a good win here and kick-start our year."

Bolen also was the game's hitting star. He pounded a pair of doubles and drove in four runs from the cleanup spot.

He nearly had his first varsity home run in the third inning when his drive to left-center field appeared to hit the yellow line at the top of the wall before bounding back onto the field, but he had to settle for a two-run double.

"It was a lot of fun," said Bolen, who ripped at the first pitch on both of his hits. "I went up there looking for fastballs, and I got them."

His two-run double in the first inning proved to be the game-winning hit in a seven-run outburst that was fueled by an error, two hit batters and three walks.

Jackson's Alex Bolen delivers to a Scott City batter during the fourth inning Monday.

"We had a couple of guys hit the ball well today, but we really took advantage of a lot of walks," Kitchen said. "We got some timely hits. We didn't necessarily hit the ball all over the ballpark."

The Indians scored 11 runs over the first three innings with the aid of just three hits. All three were doubles that scored a total of seven runs.

Junior shortstop Laban Petzoldt provided one of the doubles to make Scott City starter Ryan Brock pay for his wildness in the first inning with a two-out, bases-loaded drive that scored three runs for a 7-1 lead.

"At first he came out and threw me a knuckleball, and I didn't swing at that," Petzoldt said. "Then he threw me a fastball right down the pipe, and I saw that right off his hand and hit it. ... We really capitalized on the walks."

Brock issued nine walks and hit two batters before being lifted after three innings.

"Eleven runs on three hits -- you haven't made them earn much there," Scott City coach Lance Amick said. "We don't really even know how good of hitters they were."

The Rams had a short-lived lead in the first inning.

Bolen plunked Scott City's Austin Atchley with the first pitch of the season, and the Scott City senior stole second base and scored on a one-out single by Brett Dirnberger.

"He hit the first kid that came up, and you thought, 'Oh boy,'" Kitchen said.

It wasn't the start that Bolen envisioned when Kitchen notified him during tryouts that he probably would be the team's opening day starter.

"During school I was a little nervous," Bolen said. "I wasn't really nervous out there. I don't know what happened. He just crowded the plate on me a little bit and it got away from me. I guess things like that happen."

Not only did Bolen not hit another batter after that, he barely hit a bat. He struck out the side in the second, third and fourth innings, and he obtained the final two outs of the game in the fifth on strikeouts.

Bolen used a mix of tailing fastballs and sharp breaking curveballs down in the zone.

"He threw a great game," junior catcher Clay Macke said. "We knew coming into it he's been one of our top pitchers in the offseason. He's thrown great in the bullpens and was just outstanding today."

It was an eye-opening performance by a pitcher that sat idle during much of a 13-8 campaign last season, when the Indians had a senior-dominated staff with the likes of Bobby Clark, Zach McDowell, Logan Bartles and Mason Sanders.

"We had a big staff last year, so it's kind of my year to do it [now]," Bolen said.

The lone returning win from that staff belonged to Bolen, who earned his only other high school win in relief against Central in the SEMO Conference tournament third-place game.

"I gained a little bit of speed over the offseason, and playing soccer this past season really helped me staying in shape so I can go longer in games," Bolen said. "Stamina is a big thing.

"My control has usually been there, but my velocity wasn't real great. The curveball is my out pitch. That's what I go to."

Monday's outing was a confidence builder for the new-look staff.

"We feel really good with Alex, and we feel really good with other guys that can throw," Kitchen said.

Junior Freddie Hattenhauer, who moved from Jonesboro, Ark., last summer, likely will start today against Ste. Genevieve, while seniors Clayton Baker and Adam James figure to see considerable mound time, with juniors Steven Eddy, Chris Hartle and Steven Porzeldt also in the mix.

"We just wanted to come out here and start off the season great," Macke said. "And we did. We excelled more than all of us thought we would today."

Scott City 100 00 -- 1 1 2

Jackson 722 2X -- 13 6 1

WP -- Alex Bolen. LP -- Ryan Brock. 2B -- Laban Petzoldt (J), Bolen 2 (J). Multiple hits -- Jackson: Bolen 2-2. Records -- Jackson 1-0, Scott City 0-1.