Kelso Fastpitch uses dramatic rally on first night of Klassic

KELSO, Mo. -- Being a switch-hitter has its advantages. One of which is reverting back to a particular strength.

Clayton Eftink took that particular advice to heart, and his Kelso Fastpitch teammates couldn't have been happier.

Eftink belted a two-run home run, sparking a five-run sixth inning that rallied Kelso to a 5-4 victory over Sibley (Illinois) Friday night in the opening game of the 31st annual Kelso Klassic at the Kelso softball complex.

"I'd been batting lefthanded against [Sibley pitcher Josh White] early in the game and I just didn't feel comfortable against him," Eftink said. "Getting late in the game, I just wanted to drive a ball hard."

Eftink, who was 1-for-2 batting lefthanded against White, decided to abandon the switch-hitting strategy against the burley righty, whose repertoire of sinking fastballs had kept the host squad scoreless to that point.

Kelso Fastpitch's pitcher Tom Jansen throws to a Sibley Fastpitch batter during the third inning in the first round of the Kelso Klassic, Friday, June 12, 2015 in Kelso, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

"I had two strikes on me, and just choked up, squared it up, and it got out in a hurry," Eftink said.

White admitted to wanting that pitch back.

"I was on the outside corner, I was just a bit too high and he got his hands to it," he said. "Maybe get it out a little bit more, down a little bit more. But you can't really look back on it."

The line-drive homer to deep left-center came one out after pinch-hitter Chase Crowden opened the bottom of the sixth by reaching on an infield error, and the blast pulled Kelso within 4-2. Casey Stokes then reached on another infield error. One out later, Stokes advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and David Headley walked, putting runners at the corners.

That brought up Chad Bogenpohl, who lifted a sinking liner to left. Sibley outfielder Alex Klemmer charged in and made a diving attempt at the catch, but the ball bounced in front of his glove, hopped over and rolled to the fence. Stokes and Headley scored easily, and Bogenpohl was able to race all the way around and score the lead run ahead of the throw home.

Kelso Fastpitch's David Headley discusses a call with an umpire in the second inning against Sibley Fastpitch in the first round of the Kelso Klassic, Friday, June 12, 2015 in Kelso, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

"We needed to put the ball in play," said Bogenpohl, who played collegiate baseball at Southeast Missouri State. "I was fortunate enough to hit the ball pretty good, and it worked out."

Bogenpohl knew as he was headed to second that he had a chance to score the lead run.

"When I saw it hit the fence, I figured they were sending me all the way," he said. "I tried my best to make it all the way around. Luckily it was good enough."

A reinvigorated Kelso starter Tom Jansen allowed a two-out double in the top of the seventh, then retired White on a grounder to second to end the game.

"We were really flat for the first five innings," said Kelso designated player and assistant coach Jerry Wolsey, a veteran who has seen his share of wild games at the Klassic but put this one right near the top. "We just tried to get some people in places to be successful there at the end of the game."

Fans gather behind the outfield fence to take in the first round of the Kelso Klassic, Friday, June 12, 2015 in Kelso, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

Wolsey suggested that Eftink turn around and hit from the right side against White.

"He's a good low-ball hitter righthanded, and [White] was consistently throwing downer after downer after downer," Wolsey said. "I said, 'Hey, you're a good low-ball hitter, why don't you try it.' And bam, he hit a home run."

The rally took Jansen off the hook and sent the host squad into the winner's bracket.

"I was struggling early," said Jansen, who allowed a run in the top of the third, two in the fourth and another in the fifth that put Kelso in a 4-0 hole. "A few back-to-back hits, and they had a couple drop in, but we finally regrouped. I started throwing the ball a little better, and we were fortunate enough to have that big hit to score [the winning run]."

Sibley coach Steve Arnold knew his squad, playing in its first Kelso Klassic, let one slip away.

"Hey, if [Kemmer] lets it fall, they score two runs anyway," Arnold said of the game-winning hit that slipped past the Sibley outfielder. "If he catches it, then we're out of the inning. You can't fault the effort."

White had handcuffed Kelso until that point, allowing just two baserunners through five innings despite allowing four hits. The first two Kelso batters to hit safely against the Australian-born righty were thrown out trying for extra bases. Zach Cain led off the bottom of the first with a triple to the fence in left field but was thrown out by an eyelash trying to score, a perfect relay from Sibley third baseman Eric Douglas beating Cain to the plate. And Josh Jansen led off the bottom of the third with a single to left, only to be thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

"We never fault any guy for trying hard and giving 100 percent," Wolsey said. "It was just tough early on. We made some baserunning mistakes, but it was hustle mistakes, so we can live with those."

Eftink's and Bogenpohl's hits turned the tide and enabled Tom Jansen to do what the veteran hurler does best -- close out a Kelso win.

"Tom's been a workhorse for us for a lot of years, and once we went into that seventh inning with a lead, we were confident we were going to pull it out," Wolsey said.

Tom Jansen ended up allowing four runs on eight hits while walking one batter and striking out 12.

"I wasn't hitting spots early," Jansen said. "But I finally got in a groove there late and settled down a little bit. Ball was moving and I hit my spots. I guess when you do that, good things happen."

Eftink finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Cain was also 2 for 3 as Kelso managed just six hits off White.

Jesse Brucker was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored for Sibley, while Tyler Brucker had a two-run double in the top of the fourth.

Sibley 001 210 0 -- 4 8 3

Kelso 000 005 x -- 5 6 0

WP -- Tom Jansen. LP -- Josh White. 2B -- John Kapp (S), Jesse Brucker (S), Tyler Brucker (S). 3B -- Dustin Arnold (S), Zach Cain (K). HR -- Clayton Eftink (K). Multiple hits -- Sibley: Jesse Brucher 2-4; Kelso: Eftink 2-3, Cain 2-3.