Eagles overcome Park Center

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- One big inning. One big mistake.

Andy LaForce had been nearly perfect for the Park Center Pirates. His defense behind him had been nearly perfect.

But New Ulm High got one big inning because LaForce lost his stuff and his defense made three big mistakes. The Eagles capitalized and scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to post a 7-5 nonconference baseball win over Park Center Friday night at Johnson Park.

"We got some help from Park Center on that," New Ulm High coach Jim Senske said. "If that kid had caught that fly ball, there would have been three less runs and I think we might have gotten beat tonight."

The Park Center left fielder -- Darrin Shroyer -- was the player Senske was referring to. The Pirates' third error of the inning was an easy fly ball to Shroyer off the bat of the Eagles' Jamie Hoffmann.

But LaForce had already gotten Park Center (8-9) into a jam. After no-hitting New Ulm High (11-3) and facing only one batter more than the minimum through three innings, LaForce gave up a lead-off single to Hoffmann to start the bottom of the fourth.

LaForce then walked Craig Spelbrink on four pitches. Two batters later, Travis Boddy singled up the middle to drive in Hoffmann and designated hitter Paul Yager plated a run with a single to right.

Robbie Geistfeld reached on a bizarre error that erased Yager on runner interference on a grounder to Park Center shortstop Charlie Zerke; the play also scored Spelbrink. After that was sorted out, Andy Stolt reached on the Pirates' second error of the inning, scoring Boddy for a 4-3 New Ulm High lead.

Dan Kitzberger then singled, ending the night for LaForce after 4 2-3 innings. Reliever Tim Peterson then walked Eric Austvold on four pitches, setting the stage for Shroyer's three-run error; Austvold, Kitzberger and Stolt all scored.

"We hit it OK, but we need to hit a little better," Senske said. "We would like to hit the ball better when we see a kid who throws hard. We've got to step up. The Cities schools pitchers are usually harder throwers than in the South Central (Conference) and it gives us a little indication of whether we're going to hit people who throw the ball hard."

LaForce (2-2) took the loss for Park Center. He was charged with six runs -- four earned -- on four hits. Peterson worked the final 2 1-3 innings, allowing an unearned run despite no-hitting the Eagles.

Spelbrink (3-0) had an almost equally interesting night on the mound. The Eagles right-hander gave up three runs in the top of the second, thanks largely to a pair of booted balls.

"I tried to stay there and stick tough," Spelbrink said. "You get frustrated, but you got to support your teammates. Yelling at them isn't going to do any good -- they'll just get down on themselves. You just got to try to stay positive and keep pitching."

Spelbrink got through the third and fourth unscathed, but ran into trouble again in the fifth inning. Pat Egan and Charlie Zerke, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, led off with back-to-back singles.

Eagan scored on a ground out and Jarret Lasman drove in Zerke with a two-out single to left to pull the Pirates to within 7-5. Spelbrink then left in favor of Mike Grossmann, who got the Eagles out of the fifth.

"I didn't want to come out," Spelbrink said. "It was the best it's been all year."

Spelbrink gave up all five Park Center runs -- three earned -- on six hits.

Grossmann ran into trouble in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Park Center was unable to score a run.

In the sixth, the Eagles were helped by the bizarre play of the night. With two out, and Egan and Zerke aboard, Kevin Cogswell sent a hard grounder toward Hoffmann at shortstop, but the ball hit the field umpire and caromed into short right field.

Eagan raced home, but was sent back to third when the home plate umpire stopped play for the injured field umpire. Peterson then got Mike Stellmacher to weakly pop up to him to get out of the bases-loaded jam.

In the seventh, Peterson walked two with one out, ending his night. Wellmann then came on and got Shroyer to ground into a game-ending double play.

"We got just adequate pitching," Senske said. "Our defense has kind of gone south on us the last couple of games. But when you play teams that hit the ball hard and you don't get many strike outs, you got to make the plays."

New Ulm High will face Lakeville at noon today.

Park Center's junior varsity handed New Ulm's B-squad its first loss of the season Friday, 8-7, with Dusty Farasyn taking the mound loss.

Andy Budahn was 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Eagles (11-1). Teammate Nate McClellan was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Kyle Marti ended 2-for-4.

Park Center 030 020 0--5 8 5

NUHS 000 070 x--7 4 3

LaForce, Peterson (4) and Kern. Spelbrink, Grossmann (5), Wellmann (7) and Geistfeld, Janni (6). W--Spelbrink 3-0. L--LaForce 2-2. Sv--Wellmann. HRs--None. T--2:14.