Kelso Fastpitch team opens annual tourney with win

~ Ace Tom JANSEN struck out 14 in a 5-1 victory

KELSO, Mo. -- Good pitching is considered the cornerstone for any team in fastpitch softball.

Kelso Fastpitch starting pitcher Tom Jansen proved that by leading the hometown team to a 5-1 victory over Donnewald Budweiser, out of Central Illinois, in the opening game of the 30th annual Kelso Klassic on Friday night at Kelso City Park.

"The riseball was working good early and the dropball was working good late for me," the Kelso Fastpitch ace said. "Between all of my pitches I got a few strikeouts, which worked out for me, and we got the victory."

Jansen had more than just a few strikeouts in Game 1 of the tournament. He struck out 14 batters and allowed just two hits to his opponents.

The right-hander had at least one strikeout in every inning and gave up his first hit in the first inning and his second in the seventh. The first hit was a single off the bat of the first batter he faced, Bryan Hobbie.

Jansen then struck out the next two batters he faced before getting Donnewald first baseman Phil Westendorf to fly out to center field.

The Notre Dame graduate had no trouble setting down Donnewald batters throughout the rest of the game, retiring the side in all but two innings.

Jansen was one out away from claiming a one-hit, complete-game shutout in the seventh until Westendorf spoiled it by belting a solo shot over the left field wall to extend the game and put Donnewald on the board.

Fittingly, Jansen struck out Bob Niemerg in the next at-bat to secure the win.

"Tom was sharp tonight and he's been pitching really well for us lately," Kelso Fastpitch player and coach Jerry Wolsey said. "He's just carrying over the great season he had last year for us and continuing to do it this year and hopefully he can continue to do that for us in this tournament."

Jansen, a two-time North American Fast Pitch Association A-Major All-World performer and the NAFA A-Major Pitcher of the Year in 2013, said he's accustomed to being dominant in the circle and has a double-digit strikeout total in two games already this season.

"I like to work quick and get a flow going," Jansen said. "If I can do that and my pitches are going where I want them to, I'm going to have a good game."

Kelso scored its first run in the third on a sac fly off the bat of Clayton Eftink, which scored Larry Eftink.

David Headley led off the sixth with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jonathan Lynch hit a high fly ball to right field, which allowed Headley to tag up and score from third to give Kelso a 2-0 lead. Lynch went 1 for 4 with a single.

Kelso's bats came alive in the seventh when the team added three runs on three hits. Chad Stelling hit a lead-off home run over the left-field wall and Clayton Eftink hit a two-run shot to the same spot later in the inning. Eftink finished the day 1 for 4 with three RBIs.

Wolsey was happy with his team's overall performance but said Kelso needs to score runs earlier to take pressure off Jansen as the tournament progresses.

"I think we need to come out and score a little bit more often, get a little more timely hitting and take the pressure off of Tom if we want to advance in the tournament," Wolsey said. "Early in the game I though he was feeling some pressure and if we can take that away then Tom won't feel like he has to throw the perfect pitch every time."

Team splits game on Saturday to fall into loser's bracket

Kelso Fastpitch split its games in Day 2 action at the Kelso Klassic on Saturday at Kelso City Park.

Kelso lost to the Bloomington Stix 8-0 in its second game of the day to drop into the loser's bracket but can advance to the tournament championship with three wins in a row today.

The team's first game today begins at 10:30 a.m. against an opponent determined late Saturday night.

Kelso defeated the Belleville Stallions 9-0 in its first game Saturday. The hometown team run-ruled the Stallions in five innings behind another great pitching performance from Tom Jansen and a consistent all-around team effort on offense.

Jansen had a no-hitter and 10 strikeouts through 4 and 2/3 innings before he was replaced by Berrah Brown, who retired the Stallions final batter to secure the win.

Kelso coach and player Jerry Wolsey said he knew Jansen had the no-hitter but wanted to give Jansen a break before he pitched against the Bloomington Stix in the second game.

Kelso had 10 hits against Belleville. Wolsey said Jonathan Lynch got things started in the second inning when he hit an inside-the-park home run that scored two runs. Wolsey said each of his players had at least one hit.

The Kelso defense committed five errors behind Jansen in the loss to the Stix.

The right-hander lasted three innings giving up five runs, all of which were unearned.

The Stix starting pitcher B.J. Hunhoff had a complete game shutout with three strikeouts in five innings and gave up just three hits.

Bloomington will face Black and Gold of Herman, Missouri, in the winner's bracket final at 3 p.m. today. The winner of that game will face the winner of the loser's bracket today at 4:30. To win the championship, the team from the loser's bracket will have to defeat the team from the winner's bracket twice to claim the championship.