Jeff Johnson, CR Gazette –
DES MOINES – J.D. Nielsen feigned ignorance.
“I didn’t realize it until the end of the game,” the Martensdale-St. Mary’s pitcher said after he threw the fourth no-hitter in Iowa state tournament championship game history Saturday afternoon. “I had no idea until my teammates told me about it. I just went out and pitched my game and tried to get my team the ‘W.’”
Martensdale (40-5) won its third consecutive Class 1A title with a 1-0 win over Mason City Newman. Nielsen is the first pitcher to toss a title game no-no since Davenport Assumption’s Jason Flach in 1992 (against Decorah).
The others were Norway’s Greg Brecht (five innings versus Treynor in 1983) and Boone’s Jack Mustapha (against Burlington in 1965).
“Can’t ask for a better feeling,” the senior left-hander said. “I feel like it was (my best game). I got pretty tired towards the end, but I just had to push through and do my thing and get a couple more outs.”
Newman (35-5) got a leadoff from Alex Weber in the seventh inning. He was bunted to second and went to third on a groundout, but Nielsen ended the game with a strikeout swinging of Joe Burgmeier, as Weber peculiarly tried to steal home.
M-SM scored its run in the first inning against tough-luck losing pitcher Phillip Lapointe, who threw a two-hitter.
