BLOOMFIELD -- The Bloomfield Wildcats want what Puxico has -- a win.
In a battle of two winless teams, the Indians scored in each of the last three innings and beat Bloomfield 10-6.
"We've been working toward this," Puxico coach Jay Pierce said. "Our first game was kind of a blowout. Then we've been progressing toward getting better, and this is the fruition of that. ... We are making that progress we need to win some games."
For Bloomfield, errors, walks and hit-batsmen proved to be the team's downfall. The Wildcats committed eight errors, issued eight walks and hit two batters.
"We've got to get to a point where we don't beat ourselves," Bloomfield coach Jon Simpher said. "We had a bad first inning, gave up four. Believe it was a bad fifth inning where we gave up a couple. They should've scored in those innings, but we make a couple of plays we should make or throw a little bit better, it'll minimize those innings. We've got to get to a point where we can be consistent for seven innings, not four or five."
After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, the Wildcats (0-6) tied the score in the fourth and had the tying run on base in the sixth.
"That's one thing I've been extremely proud of," Simpher said. "Down 16, down two, whatever it is, they're up there to battle. They do their best to claw. A lot of teams fold when they're down. This team tries to find ways to get it done. We're just coming up a little short right now."
The Indians (1-3) took advantage of two hit-batsmen, three walks and three errors to score four first-inning runs. Roland Wolfe singled home a run, and Lane Schumer drew a bases-loaded walk.
Bloomfield capitalized on two hit-batsmen and a bunt single by Will Robison to score two runs in the second. Jordan Schlueter and Brandon Siler had run-scoring singles.
Malik Williams, batting eighth in the lineup, crushed the first of his two two-run homers in the fourth to tie the score.
"He hasn't played since his freshman year," Simpher said of the senior center fielder. "He's got a good looking swing. Just get a little confidence in him, and hopefully (he'll) be another guy ready to hit for us."
The Wildcats committed two errors in the fifth, and Puxico drew a pair of walks to take a 6-4 lead. Blake Aikey drew a leadoff walk and scored on Dalton Phillips' single, and Thomas Ellsworth reached on a fielder's choice and scored on an error by the shortstop.
Wolfe and Tommy Parsley hit back-to-back doubles to start the sixth inning and extend the Indians' lead 7-4. Parsley scored on an error by the pitcher, and Aikey scored a sacrifice fly by Schumer.
Williams hit his second two-run homer in the sixth, but Kasen Barnfield drew a one-out walk, and courtesy runner Andy Sperino scored on an error by the second baseman to push the Indians' lead to four runs in the seventh.
"There was a couple of innings there where it seemed we were letting off the gas and allowed them to kind of get back in the game," Pierce said. "The guys really turned it back up and got it when we needed it."
Starting pitcher Barnfield retired Bloomfield 1-2-3 in the seventh to secure the victory. The right-hander allowed six runs on 12 hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
Barnfield was nearing his pitch limit in the seventh.
"He buckled down and got them on seven pitches," Pierce said.
Barnfield pitched in and out of trouble throughout the game but didn't let any of the Wildcats' rallies snowball.
"It's scary when you see two balls by the same guy go over the fence. Hat's off to (Williams). Those were bombs," Pierce said. "(Barnfield) really settled down. He didn't let that affect him. We talked on the mound a little about that. ... He made the pitches he needed to."
Thomas Chamberlain was charged with the loss, yielding five runs (none earned) on five hits with six strikeouts, six walks and two hit-batsmen in four-plus innings.
Siler went 4 for 4 to lead the Wildcats' 12-hit attack. Robison joined Williams with two hits apiece.
Wolfe went 3 for 4 to lead Puxico's 10-hit offensive. Barnfield and Phillips had two hits each.