New Ulm's year ends with 1-0 loss to Prior Lake

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NORTH MANKATO -- Clutch situations call for clutch performances.

Prior Lake right-hander Heidi Erickson spun a two-hit shutout Thursday, striking out seven and walking two, to lead the Lakers past New Ulm 1-0 in a Section 2-3A elimination game at Caswell Park.

Prior Lake (20-5) will face Mankato West at 4 p.m. Wednesday for the right to take on undefeated Mankato East for the section title. The Eagles end their season at 17-6.

"Prior Lake's a great ballclub ... we knew that coming in," New Ulm coach Jim Pearson said. "We couldn't get a hit or lay down a bunt when we needed it, but we're happy to (keep the game at) 1-0. Too bad it's our second loss in the tournament."

Cassie Schultz was charged with the loss for the Eagles as she yielded five hits and three walks while fanning five.

The game was scoreless through the first four innings, with both teams having chances to score. In the second inning Shelly Gramentz reached on an error and advanced to second, but Erickson fanned Shannon Gorres to end the threat. No Eagle reached second base in the rest of the game.

The Lakers, meanwhile, put runners on second and third in the fourth before finally breaking through in the fifth. Leadoff hitter Beth Whitmore began the frame with a single, but didn't stay there long as Mandi Geis laced a triple to the fence in left field. Geis was stranded at third, but the run stood up.

"That left-handed hitter (Geis) hit the ball well tonight," Pearson said. "She had a couple hits off us tonight, but that one was big."

Jenny Brandel gave her team some hope as she singled to start the seventh, but Erickson was able to settle down and record the final three outs for the win.

"Everyone played well for us in this tournament," Pearson said. "There were two 1-0 losses ... those were our two losses."

NEW ULM 2,

WORTHINGTON 0

Earlier in the day, the Eagles took advantage of two huge Worthington errors in the bottom of the fifth to score both runs for the win.

"We weren't getting much going with the sticks in that (first) game either," Pearson said. "We ran the bases and that did it for us, but the Worthington pitcher (Abby Schmidt) threw well, too."

Lauren Hofmeister threw the first five innings to get the mound win, yielding five hits and three walks while striking out three. Laura Schaefer nailed down the save as she threw the final two frames, giving up one hit.

Schmidt had the Eagles guessing through the first couple of innings before singles by Christine Wendinger and Emily Hamann ended the drought. Those runners wound up stranded, as was Gramentz in the fourth, before New Ulm finally broke through with some aggressiveness.

Sheena Stueber singled to start the fifth and moved up on a wild pitch before Wendinger's bunt single. A throwing error by catcher Erin Brink on Wendinger's steal allowed Stueber to score the first run, and Wendinger came in to score as the second Trojan error -- by first baseman Jennifer LeBrin -- sent the ball sailing down the third base line.

Worthington threatened in the sixth with two on and two out, but Schaefer battled her way out of it. The Trojans stranded nine runners in the game.

"We were happy to get one more win over here (in the tournament)," Pearson said after the loss to Prior Lake. "We didn't like the outcome of this (second) game, but that's the way things go once in a while."

1st Game

WORTHINGTON 000 000 0 -- 0 6 3

NEW ULM 000 020 x -- 2 5 1

W--Hofmeister. L--Schmidt. S--Schaefer. 2B--Wgtn., Batcheller.

2nd Game

NEW ULM 000 000 0 -- 0 2 0

PRIOR LAKE 000 010 x -- 1 5 2

W--Erickson. L--Schultz. 2B--PL, Doble. 3B--PL,Geis.