Spelbrink baffles Bluejays

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- When a hitter gets in a groove, everything that opposing pitchers throw looks like a basketball sitting on a tee.

And when a pitcher gets into that same type of groove, opposing teams might just as well put their bats back in the rack.

New Ulm High's Craig Spelbrink tossed his second consecutive two-hitter and Eagle hitters took advantage of five Waseca errors and six walks to hammer the Jays 9-2 in the first round of Section 2-3A playoffs Monday at Johnson Park.

Spelbrink fanned 11 as he began the game and ended the game by striking out Waseca's leadoff hitter Andy Nelson. The righthander retired the first 14 Waseca hitters he faced in the game before Dustin Spencer reached first as he struck out on a ball in the dirt but reached when the pitch caromed away from Eagle catcher Rob Geistfeld.

Matt Schmidt and Jamie Hoffmann each had two hits for New Ulm (17-3), with Dusty Fleck driving in two runs. Spelbrink, Hoffmann, Rob Geistfeld and Travis Thorson each doubled in the game. Hoffmann, Thorson and Schmidt each scored twice.

Ian Srp took the loss for Waseca, lasting one-plus inning. He gave up only one hit but issued five walks, and compounded the trouble by two errors of his own. He was charged with six runs.

"I was pretty confident today," said Spelbrink, who carried a no-hitter for 5 1-3 innings. "I had my good stuff today; I think that it a case of getting outside more and getting my control. I had good location today and I had that same location against Mounds View. I was getting my breaking ball across. That is a big part of my pitching."

"He (Spelbrink) pitched quite well," commented coach Jim Senske. "He got into a little trouble in the (sixth) inning when he started to run out of gas. We booted a potential double-play ball (New Ulm's only error of the game) and a kid (Joe Ward, No. 9 hitter) hit a pitch way out of the strike zone for their first hit. He did a nice job throwing for us and we played pretty good defense."

The same could not be said for the Bluejays (3-15-1). New Ulm would score three runs in the bottom of the first without the aid of a hit as Waseca booted the ball three times, two coming from the righthanded Srp.

Hoffmann reached first when shortstop Nelson booted his ground ball, and scampered to second on an errant Srp pickoff throw. Spelbrink followed by dribbling a ground ball back to Srp who fielded the ball cleanly but nonchalanted the throw to first and the ball sailed over the head of first baseman Jake Bjerke, allowing Hoffmann to score for a 1-0 lead.

That may have rattled Srp as he walked the next three hitters -- Thorson, Travis Boddy and Jace Marti -- to force in the Eagles' second run of the inning. Thorson would score on a fielder's choice for a 3-0 lead.

Matt Schmidt and Eric Austvold received consecutive walks to start the second. Waseca then committed a mental error when Hoffmann laid down a bunt towards first base that was fielded by Srp but their was no one covering first. Spelbrink then helped his own cause with a two-run double to left for a 5-0 lead.

Hoffmann trotted home with the Eagles' sixth run of the game when Boddy's fly ball to right fielder Steve Hanson became an adventure, with Hanson dropping the potential out.

Meanwhile Spelbrink was having has way with Waseca hitters, setting down 14 straight (five by strikeouts) before Spooner reached on a strikeout and wild pitch.

Waseca got to Spelbrink in the sixth for their only two runs of the game when Ward collected the first Jay hit. A walk to Nelson, an error, and two more walks brought resulted in two Waseca runs.

"I lost a little bit of control in the (sixth) inning," Spelbrink said. "I may have lost my focus; I was getting a little lazy out there."

New Ulm would tack on two more runs off Dave Dressler in the bottom of the inning when Paul Yager walked and Thorson doubled. Both Yager and Thorson scored on Dusty Fleck's single up the middle.

WASECA 000 002 0--2 2 5

NEW ULM 331 002 x--9 8 1

Waseca-Srp, Dressler (2) and Hanson. New Ulm-Spelbrink and Geistfeld. WP-Spelbrink, LP-Srp. 2B-Spelbrink (NU), Hoffmann (NU), Geistfeld (NU), Thorson (NU).