New Ulm stays on top

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Beginnings can sometimes be deceiving.

New Ulm High's Andy Stolt allowed a first-inning run to Marshall but then settled down, permitting only two hits in the final six innings as the Eagles downed the Tigers 3-1 Thursday evening in Section 2-3A winner's bracket play.

New Ulm, now 19-3 on the season, will host the winner of the Willmar/Mankato East contest Saturday night at 7 p.m.

That game will culminate a full day of baseball at Johnson Park as loser's bracket games will begin at 11 a.m., with Marshall (15-3) taking on the winner of the Monticello/Chaska elimination game.

Stolt, who accepted a baseball scholarship from Mankato Bethany following the game, went 6 2-3 innings, striking out 11 and walking only two while giving up three hits.

Dusty Erickson was touched for his first loss of the season (4-1) for Marshall, going 4 1-3 innings and being charged with all three runs. Erickson entered the game with an ERA of 0.80 and had given up only two earned runs in 29 2-3 innings.

Rob Geistfeld and Matt Schmidt each had two hits for the Eagles, with Schmidt driving in two runs.

Marshall would plate their only run of the game in that first inning when leadoff hitter Ben Wiener legged out an infield single and went to third on two stolen bases. After the righthanded Stolt fanned Matt Suby, Wiener scored on Mike Engelbretson's sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 Tiger lead.

Marshall would threaten in the second and third innings off of Stolt with leadoff doubles, but each time the senior worked out of the jams.

"It took me a while to get settled down," said Stolt, who set down eight straight hitters at one point. "But once I got settled down, I let the defense make the plays, struck a few guys out and pretty much cruised from there."

"Andy came through big-time," said New Ulm coach Jim Senske, who won his 657th career game. "He got hit a little bit early (in the game) but that was probably because we called some pitches that we shouldn't have; we let (Ben) Wiener hit a curveball up the middle in a curveball-looking situation. But then he got tougher as the game went on and he pitched well.

"We also got contributions from other people that have not always done it. But that is the mark of a good ballclub when you don't always have to rely on the same people."

Those would be New Ulm's seven, eight and nine hitters.

New Ulm would knot the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Geistfeld got the Eagles' first hit of the game leading off with a single off of Tiger third baseman Jeremy Ordemann's glove. Stolt sacrificed him to second and pinch runner Dan Kitzberger would score on Schmidt's single down the left field line.

In the fifth inning, it was again that same trio that this time pushed two runs across.

Geistfeld lined a single to left and Stolt's second sacrifice bunt of the on an 0-2 count moved Kitzberger to third.

"I was doing what I could. All of that practice bunting paid off today," said Stolt.

It would really pay off when Schmidt lined a single to left to score Kitzberger for a 2-1 lead.

"We came out to play today," said Schmidt. "We knew what we each had to do today. It is great to have the games (on Saturday) at Johnson Park; nothing beats playing here and having home-field advantage."

A walk to Eric Austvold ended Erickson's day, and reliever Stephen Wiblemo was greeted by an RBI single by Jamie Hoffmann for a 3-1 advantage.

Stolt tired in the seventh inning and gave way to Bob Wellmann with two out as Wellmann got Chris Strautz to ground out to Schmidt to end the game.

"I think that he was getting tired earlier in that (seventh) inning and I should have relieved him after a walk, but Andy pitched well," commented Senske. "Winning this game was huge because we have graduation on Friday night and it would have been tough for the seniors to be on a bus at 8 a.m. for the trip to Marshall."

MARSHALL 100 000 0--1 3 0

NEW ULM 001 020 x--3 7 0

WP-Stolt, LP-Erickson.