Eagles score 23 in first, top USC

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Now the situation is what do you do for an encore?

The New Ulm Eagles sent 23 men to the plate in the first inning -- after the first two were out -- and scored 17 runs enroute to a 23-2 toetagging of United South Central at Johnson Park Monday night in the South Central Conference opener for New Ulm.

The game was stopped after five innings because of the 10-run rule.

Tyson Anderson picked up his first varsity win for the Eagles (1-0; 2-0) going three innings, striking out four while walking two. He allowed four hits and both Rebel runs.

Dusty Farasyn and Chris Cariveau each tossed an inning.

Chris Hanson took the loss for USC, lasting only 2/3 of an inning and being charged with nine runs. Southpaw Eric Niebuhr relieved Hanson and did not fare much better, being charged with the next eight Eagle runs.

Offensively, the Eagles, who slapped out 19 hits, were led by Dan Kitzberger's three hit, three RBI game. Eric Austvold, Derik Johnson, Jace Marti, Brandon Rolloff and Dusty Fleck all had two hits with Marti belting two triples -- both coming in the same inning.

Marti's two three-baggers were two of five triples balted by New Ulm with Jamie Hoffmann, Tyler Janni, Brandon Rolloff and Kitzberger all getting triples.

Kitzberger, Johnson and Joe Peters each had a double.

"The opponent's pitching was pretty weak," commented Eagle coach Jim Senske who will see his team play St. Peter today at 5 p.m. at Mueller Park. "But I do give our guys credit - they showed patience - they did not stand in there and start swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. We made good contact with the ball; we hit it hard and it produced us a lot of runs. Hopefully the opponents get tougher for the rest of the week (hosting St. Peter today, at St. James Thursday before playing at Minnetonka on Saturday). This was kind of one of those were you were relaxed."

USC would take a 1-0 lead when Trevor Hough belted the third pitch of the game from Anderson for a triple and scored on a Trent Ulrich two-out single.

But that lead did not last long - it lasted precisely four batters. After Hanson retired Austvold and Johnson, Jamie Hoffmann reached on an error. Jace Marti followed with his first triple to tie the game at 1-1 and then scored on a balk by Hanson. Brandon Rolloff was hit by a pitch and raced to third on a Dusty Fleck single.

A walk to Tyler Janni loaded the bases for Dan Kitzberger who singled home Rolloff. Isaac Forstner walked to force in the fourth run of the inning prior to Austvold singling home both Janni and Kitzberger. Johnson's base hit plated Austvold and ended Hanson's day on the mound.

Reliever Eric Niebuhr was promptly greeted by a run-scoring triple by Hoffmann to center field. It would be the first of three consecutive triples as both Jace Marti and Rolloff slapped three-baggers.

A Dusty Fleck single followed by a Janni triple- the fifth of the inning - ballooned the lead to 13-1. A wild pitch, a Kitzberger double and a Forstner single made it 15-1 before an error and a walk plated the 16th and 17th runs of the inning for the Eagles.

The 17 runs in one inning is a school record. It was also an inning where the Eagles- the second time through the line-up - all got hits. The nine straight hits is also a school record.

New Ulm added five more runs in the second on a Kitzberger triple, an RBI single by Pete Meier and a Johnson double. A Hoffmann sacrifice fly and Joe Peters' two-bagger saw the Eagles ahead 22-2.

Matt Suess's RBI single scored New Ulm's final run of the game in the third inning

"We got the chance to get two more kids some mound work today - it is still early in the year," said Senske. "Outdoor practices have been pretty limited and some of our pitchers have not thrown very much..Plus,we have had a ton of sickness among the players -we have had five players out with this flu bug that has been going around."

Senske said that he would send Bob Wellmann to the mound against St. Peter today.

The Eagles defeated USC 9-2 in sub-varsity baseball. New Ulm's Zach Barett pitched four perfect innings and was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. The Eagle's Adam Macho was 2-for-3 and hit a double, a triple and three RBI.

USC 110-00+2-5-5

NEW ULM (17) 51-0X=23-19-2

Chris Hanson, Eric Niebuhr (1), Brandon Hough (1), Doug Widman (3) and Trevor Ulrich. NEW ULM : Tyson Anderson, Dusty Farasyn (3) Chris Cariveau (4) and Tyler Janni, Kyle Marti (3).

2B: Kitzberger (NU), Johnson (NU(, Peters (NU). 3B: Hough (USC), J. Marti 2 (NU), Hoffmann (NU), Janni (NU), Rolloff (NU), Kitzberger (NU).