Brewers

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Hanska

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM ­ Brad Weber and Todd Hoffmann each collected three hits with Weber driving in four runs as the New Ulm Brewers opened their 2001 Tomahawk East League season with a 12-2 win over Hanska on Sunday.

The game, which was delayed by rain for an hour, was stopped when the Brewers tallied two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the 10-run rule into effect.

Pitcher Tony Burt got win for the Brewers in relief of starter Andy Bettin. Burt went the final five innings, struck out seven and gave up four hits. He did not give up a run.

Bettin started for New Ulm and went the first three innings fanning three and yielding three hits. He gave up two Laker unearned runs in the first inning.

Troy Kamm and Scott Schaefer each had two hits for the Brewers. who will play at Winthrop next Sunday at 2 p.m.

Hanska scored once in the first inning, pushing across two runs after two outs.

Nate Gusso led off the game with a walk, but Bettin set down the next two hitters. Dan Moses then dribbled an inning-ending ground ball to second baseman Scott O'Brien who fielded the ball cleanly. However, the throw to first baseman Scott Schaefer bounced in the dirt and by Schaefer, thus allowing Gusso to score for a 1-0 lead. Luke Jacobs then doubled to left to score and a 2-0 lead.

The Brewers quickly erased that lead with runs in the first three innings.

Troy Kamm got a walk off Laker pitcher Drew Waibel and scored on Brad Weber's double to the base of the center field fence. Weber then trotted home on Chris Peters' one-out double with Todd Hoffmann's base hit to center scoring Peters for a 3-2 New Ulm lead.

The Brewers added two more runs in the second when Jeremy Wieland walked and Kamm singled to left, moving Wieland to third. Kamm swiped second before Scott Schaefer singled Wieland and Kamm home for a 5-2 lead.

Scott O'Brien's leadoff single in the third inning sparked a five-run inning for New Ulm. Corey Schaefer walked following O'Brien's single. O'Brien stole third and came home when Laker catcher Tim Piepgras' throw to third sailed into left field. Back-to-back singles by Wieland and Kamm made it 7-2 before Weber hit a three-run home run to left for a 10-2 lead.

Then, the rains came. After a one-hour, four-minute delay, play resumed and the game turned into a pitchers' duel for the final five innings.

The Brewers ended the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runs.

Schaefer singled and went to second on a Retka wild pitch. Hoffmann's base hit to center scored Schaefer for an 11-2 lead.. Corey Schaefer's single and an Evan Jaocbs' base hit to left brought in Hoffmann for a 12-2 victory for the Brewers.

HANSKA 200-000-00=2-7-3

NEW ULM BREWERS 325-000-02=12-15-1

WP:Tony Burt., LP: Drew Waibel. 2B:Jacobs (H), Weber (NU), Peters (NU), Beckius (H), Young (M). HR: Weber 1 (NU).

All other games in the Tomahawk East League were postponed by rain or wet grounds.