Rolloff's homer lifts Eagles past BEA

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The game was the battle that both teams expected. Two players made the difference for the New Ulm High Eagles.

Dusty Fleck had just enough left in the seventh inning to complete a shutout and Brandon Rolloff drove in three runs, including a two-run home run. New Ulm High blanked Blue Earth Area 4-0 Monday in a battle of South Central Conference baseball unbeatens at Johnson Park.

"I thought we got a very nice pitching performance today from Dusty Fleck," New Ulm High coach Jim Senske said. "And then we executed very well when we got scoring chances. We didn't get a lot of scoring chances because they had a good pitcher."

The game was a scoreless pitcher's dual for the first three and a half innings. Through three complete, both Fleck (2-0) and the Buccaneers' Lee Hodges (2-1) had no-hitters and Fleck was perfect through four innings.

But in the later innings, both pitchers began to tire and both teams adjusted at the plate. Fleck was able to survive. Hodges wasn't.

"During the sixth and seventh innings, I got a little tired," Fleck said. "My fastball was slowing down a little bit. They started hitting it, but we've got a good defense out there and they did their job."

Fleck lost his perfect game in the fifth and then surrendered three hits in the final two innings. He struck out six and walked two.

"I was able to hit my spots," Fleck said. "I was throwing pretty good, my arm felt good. I was able to throw it where I wanted to. ... They're a quality ballclub. I just wanted come in here and do the job and I was able to do it."

Hodges, who faced only one batter more than the minimum through three innings, lost his no-hitter and shutout in the fourth inning. Hodges also went the distance and all five of New Ulm High's hits came in the final three innings; he struck out five and walked two.

"I think he just got a little tired," Blue Earth Area coach Todd Schmidtke said. "Plus, they're a good-hitting team. The second and third times through they've seen him, so it's pretty hard to keep that up."

Rolloff had Hodges figured out after striking out in his first at-bat in the second inning. Rolloff went 2-for-3, including a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the sixth that was just fair.

"It was an inside curve ball," Rolloff said. "I just took a little wider stance on it, hung back, just tracked it in and took it out.

"My first time, I was a little shaky, wasn't real confident. He's a real good pitcher. My second at-bat, I just started tracking it and striding a little quicker. I figured him out the third time and took him out."

As it turned out, the only run New Ulm High (6-0, 4-0 SCC) needed came on Rolloff's two-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Eagle senior hit a hard grounder up the middle that Blue Earth Area shortstop Jason Frey knocked down, but wasn't able to make a play on, and Eric Austvold scored from third.

The Eagles upped their lead to 2-0 with a run in the fifth on a pair of singles. Austvold's single up the middle plated Dan Kitzberger, who singled earlier.

Rolloff added a couple of more insurance runs in the sixth with his one-out jack that also brought in Jace Marti, who walked one batter earlier.

"We bunted them up, or stole the runner up," Senske said. "The guy behind in the batting order drove them home. ... We got just the right amount of hitting at the right time."

While the Eagles took advantage of Hodges in the later innings, Blue Earth Area (5-1, 3-1) also began to start denting Fleck's armor.

Fleck lost his perfect game with a walk to start the fifth. Fleck lost his no-hitter in the sixth inning on two solid singles; neither baserunner was ever a threat to score.

It was in the top of the seventh when Fleck started to show signs of fatigue. He walked T.J. Stallmann on five pitches to start the inning and surrendered a single to Arndt.

But Fleck had the baseball gods on his side. Arndt reached when his hard grounder nailed Stallmann on his way to second base, retiring Stallmann on runner interference.

Back in the top of the fifth inning, Arndt reached on a five-pitch walk. Hodges then popped up, but the ball escaped Eagles catcher Tyler Janni. That made Arndt an easy out at second.

In all, the Buccaneers had seven baserunners. Only two reached scoring position and neither advanced past second base.

New Ulm High will play at St. Peter at 5 p.m. today.

In the junior varsity game, New Ulm High outscored Blue Earth Area 11-10.

In the freshman game, New Ulm High topped Blue Earth Area 6-4. Zack Barrett got the win and Nick Besemer went 2-for-4.

BLUE EARTH 000 000 0--0 3 1

NEW ULM HIGH 000 112 x--4 5 1

Hodges and Hartman. Fleck and Janni. W--Fleck, 2-0. L--Hodges, 2-1. 2B--None. 3B--None. HR--NUHS, Rolloff. T--1:17.