Knights erase

3-run deficit

to LeCenter

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

MANKATO -- For the second time in their last three games, the Class 1A top-ranked Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights needed a comeback. And for the second time, they got one.

St. Mary's scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning to erase a 3-0 deficit in a 6-4 win over LeCenter in the Section 2-1A tournament.

Darrin Haala picked up the pitching win for the Knights (21-1), going seven innings and striking out eight. He walked two and gave up four hits, three of those in the three-run Wildcat first inning.

Jason Harmon took the loss for LeCenter (8-14), striking out two and yielding seven hits.

St. Mary's will meet New Ulm Cathedral on Friday with a noon starting tim,e according to Cathedral athletic director John Vetter.

Darrin Haala also led the Knights in hitting with three hits in four at-bats. Andy Konz went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI for St. Mary's.

"I don't know if we came out flat or not," said St. Mary's coach Bruce Woitas. "They got a lead-off walk (in the first inning), a base hit and then a bloop bunt that fell in for a hit and they put themselves in a situation to score some runs. They got those three runs before we could get out of it. We had an error in there but Darrin pitched fine. But we came back for the win."

Just like the game against McLeod West, the Knights had to battle from behind when the Wildcats scored three times on a walk, a single and a bloop bunt by Mike Madison. A fielder's choice, that error on a potential double-play ball and a Jesse Harmon single to right gave the second-seeded team in the East subsection of 2-1A a 3-0 lead.

But the Knights, who had two hits in the first inning but failed to score, plated five runs off the right-handed Harmon. Adam Fischer, Randy Braun and Steve Eckstein all walked to start the inning before John Pelzel slapped a grounder to third baseman Harmon. His throw home sailed by catcher Chris Roemhildt to allow Fischer and Braun to score. After Darrin Haala was retired, Andy Konz gave the Knights a lead that they would not lose when he tripled to right-center to score Eckstein and Pelzel for a 4-3 lead.

"It was a fastball out over the plate," Konz said. "I think that we were a little flat before the game. A lot of our players and did not have school today so we slept in and maybe we were a little groggy at the start. We didn't make the plays defensively and I had an error that cost us two runs."

Konz scored the fifth run of the inning when Chad Armbruster grounded out.

LeCenter cut the lead to 5-4 in the fourth on a Adam Blaschko double.

But the Knights plated an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a Pelzel double and a Konz sacrifice fly to center.

"It helps to play with the lead," said Konz. "Once you get the lead, things start going your way and you get a little more confident."

LeCENTER 300 100 0--4 4 2

ST. MARY'S 050 001 x--6 8 2

W--Haala. L--Harmon. 2B--Blaschko (L), Pelzel (SESM). 3B--Konz (SESM).