Mankato West blanks New Ulm

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Mankato West's Jared Roberts allowed just one New Ulm hit while striking out eight as the Scarlets blanked New Ulm 8-0 Tuesday afternoon in nonconference baseball.

Roberts carried a no-hitter for 5 1/3 innings before Joe Kuehl lined a double to right field.

He was only one of three baserunners allowed by Roberts.

Nick Breu took the loss for New Ulm (7-3), allowing five runs in three innings of work.

Marcus Duehns led the Scarlets (9-2) with three hits while Brad Walsh added two hits. Duehns drove in two runs.

While the numbers for Roberts were impressive in his complete game win, numbers for New Ulm were just as unimpressive. Five errors contributed to five unearned runs and Scarlet baserunners were successful on all seven steal attempts in the game.

"They put it to us today," Eagle coach Dave Curry said. "The (five) errors really hurt -- they were stealing bases because we did not keep them close. They went on [the pitcher's] first movement. They took advantage of us."

Mankato West used two Eagle errors in the first inning to plate two unearned runs.

Chase Brown drew a walk from the left-handed Breu and stole second, One out later, Breu issued a free pass to Walsh. Paul Mages' ground ball went between the legs of shortstop Tim Fischer, allowing Brown to score.

West then scored their second run on a double steal and a throwing error by catcher Jonathon Curry.

The Scarlets added two more runs in the third -- two earned runs -- on singles by Duehns and Walsh. A passed ball put both runners in scoring position before Breu walked Cameron Nelson to load the bases.

Mages' ground out scored Duehns before Andy Stori's suicide squeeze bunt added another run.

Duehn's single in the fourth scored Tyler Geisdorf, who had singled to start the inning for a 5-0 lead.

Meanwhile Roberts was having his way with Eagle hitters as he allowed just two balls to the outfield through four innings.

"He kept us off-balance all game," Curry said. "He was a left-hander who mixed his pitches well -- we did not pick up on it very well."

West broke open the game with three runs after two were out in the fifth inning thanks in large part to three more New Ulm errors.

After two strikeouts by reliever Zach Barrett, Geisdorf reached on an error by second baseman Jon Koeckeritz and stole second. Jon Dobson singled home Geisdorf before Brown reached on the second error of the inning by Koeckertiz. Allowing Dobson to score for a 7-0 lead. Duehn's third hit of the game made it 8-0.

"The errors really hurt us," Curry said. "If we cut them out, it is 3-0, and that is a big difference. We need to play better defense. There were also some hits that got through our infield defense that we should have fielded, but we did not get to them."

Curry felt the loss would hurt them for sectional seedings but said that his team has a lot of games to play yet.

The Eagles are still 6-0 in the South Central Conference and and 7-3 overall and host Waseca Thursday.

"I think that maybe today we were all on a different agenda and we have to make that one agenda and that is to win the game," Curry said.

The Eagle B-squad won 15-8 over Mankato West. Alex Kral was the winning pitcher for New Ulm. Andy Kitzberger had three hits, with Matt Pryor adding two, one of which was a triple. Matt Steinman also had two hits.