Eagles too much for Waseca

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm High took advantage of two second-inning Waseca errors to score five runs as the Eagles improved to 3-1 in the South Central Conference and 4-1 overall with an 8-3 win over the Bluejays Thursday afternoon.

Craig Spelbrink went five innings to get the win, striking out four and giving up three runs. Andy Stolt finished up the final two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Dave Dressler took the mound loss for Waseca (0-4-1, 0-3-1). He went the distance and gave up all eight runs.

Jake Bjerke had two hits for Waseca while Brock Nelson drove in two runs.

Jace Marti banged out three hits for New Ulm, with Jamie Hoffmann belting two triples. Marti and Hoffmann each drove in two runs.

"I think that we played just well enough to win today," said Eagle coach Jim Senske. "We showed some patience early (at the plate), but then maybe we lost that patience with their pitcher. He was around the plate and one of the things is that when you play Waseca, they usually play good defense most of the time."

But Thursday, the Jays' defense did not. Rob Geistfeld reached first to open the second inning when his line drive caromed off the glove of Jays' shortstop Andy Nelson. Following a pop-out, Andy Stolt singled and Dressler issued a walk to Matt Schmidt to load the bases with Eagles. Dusty Fleck then drove a potential inning-ending double play ball to Nelson at short, but his throw to second sailed into right field and allowed both pinch runner Gary Wurtzberger and Stolt to score.

A stolen base and an Eric Austvold sacrifice fly made it 3-0. Fleck came home on the first of two triples by Hoffmann for a 4-0 lead. Hoffmann then trotted home on a Marti base hit to center.

Waseca tapped Spelbrink for a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice and a Shawn Borchert double.

But the Eagles, who host Blue Earth today at 5 p.m. in a big SCC clash, added two more runs in the bottom of the inning after two were out. Austvold walked and swiped second and rambled home on Hoffmann's second triple of the game. Another Marti single plated Hoffmann.

While Hoffmann did it with his bat, he made just as big of a play on defense in the top of the fifth inning. The Jays used a walk and an error to put runners on first and second with no outs. A groundout moved the runners to second and third before Brock Nelson singled them both in. Spencer Hansen walked and Bjerke legged out an infield hit to load the bases with one out.

Dustin Spooner followed with a ground ball that went under the glove of Travis Thorson as he went to his left. But Hoffmann fielded the ball deep in the hole, and on one knee threw a strike to Isaac Forstner at second and Forstner's throw to first retired Spooner.

"Jamie is a nice player," commented Senske. "He is doing the things that we expect him to do; he is playing shortstop very well. He can hit with some power and we anticipate that he will do that all year long for us."

The Eagles scored their final run of the game in the fifth inning on doubles by Thorson and Dan Kitzberger.

"We will start Bob Wellmann (against Blue Earth today) and Andy Stolt Saturday against Edina (here at 1 p.m.)," said Senske. "I expect that we will see either Aaron Wendt or T.J. Schmidtke; we will be ready."

Dusty Farasyn pitched a no-hitter for the New Ulm B-squad as it defeated Waseca 2-0, striking out 12 batters in the win. Matt Suess had the game-winning RBI in the first inning.

WASECA 000 120 0 -- 3 7 3

NEW ULM 050 210 x -- 8 9 1

WP-Spelbrink, LP-Dressler. 2B-Borchert (W), Thorson (NU), Kitzberger (NU). 3B- Hoffmann 2 (NU).