Eagles make it to finals

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

ST. PAUL -- Six games ago, the New Ulm Eagles' baseball team was a caught fly ball away from having their season end in Section 2-3A playoffs.

Now, they are one win away from the state Class 3-A baseball title.

Chris Cariveau pitched six innings in relief and allowed only one run while New Ulm erased a 5-0 Northfield lead after two innings with six unanswered runs as the Eagles rolled by Northfield 8-6 in a 3A semifinal game Thursday at Midway Stadium in St. Paul.

New Ulm, now 26-3, will meet North St. Paul tonight at 6 p.m. for the 3A state title.

"We got down but like always, they keep battling back," said Eagle coach Jim Senske. "This club keeps pulling off the miracle and I hope that we can do one more."

Jace Marti paced a 12 hit attack going 3-for-3. Eric Austvold, Jamie Hoffmann and Isaac Forstner each had a two-hit game with Austvold driving in three runs and Forstner two.

The Raiders, who had beaten Fergus Falls 2-1 earlier in the day to earn their right to meet New Ulm went quietly in the first inning before erupting for five runs against Eagle starter Dusty Fleck.

Brett Barry, who took the loss for Northfield, led off that inning with a single -- it would be the first of seven straight hits for Northfield, including two doubles, that saw them take a 5-0 lead and ending Fleck's day with no outs in the top of the second before Cariveau took over.

But the Eagles, who are no strangers to comebacks this year, pecked away at Barry and Northfield, plating two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Jace Marti, who would reach base four times in the contest, worked the righthanded Barry for a one-out walk. Dan Kitzberger also reached on a free pass before Blake Thorson grounded into a fielder's choice with Marti scoring on the ensuing error on the play.

Isaac Forstner followed by delivering an RBI single to left to pull New Ulm to within 5-2.

After Cariveau set down the Raiders in order in the top of the third, the Eagles, who hammered out 17 hits and 17 runs in a 17-3 toetagging of St. Francis in their first game, got their bats going.

Jamie Hoffmann, who was 4-for-4 in the first game and singled in his first at-bat, led off with a double to leftfield. After Brandon Rolloff popped out, Dusty Fleck singled to left to score Hoffmann to slice the lead to 5-3.A Jace Marti single and a walk to Kitzberger loaded the bases for Blake Thorson who came through with a run-scoring single.

Forstner then gave the Eagles a lead that they would not lose when he laced a 3-2 Barry pitch to left for a two-run double and a 6-5 lead and end Barry's day.

"I feel that we are destined to win (the state title)," Forstner said. "We are coming together -- we are getting hot at the right time. Even when we were down 5-0 -- we have been down by a lot more than that. We've had to win seven games in a row to get where we are now."

Reliever Brandon Amy was greeted by an Eric Austvold base hit to center that plated pinchrunner Nate Carroll and Forstner for an 8-5 lead.

Meanwhile, Cariveau had Raider hitters off-stride, permitting only two hits and one run, that coming on a Barry one-out home run in the sixth.

"Chris Cariveau rescued us again," Senske said. "Unfortunately, (Dusty) Fleck got hit -- he may have been the right speed. Chris came in and got his breaking pitches over and bailed us out again."

Said Cariveau: "I've just wanted to go out and show that I can do it. I really didn't get a chance earlier in the season. I'm getting more confident -- we are going to (win the state)."

"We have had a lot of heroes (in tournaments)," Senske said. "The (bottom) part of the order (7-8-9) did it tonight ( three RBI, four runs scored, three hits) -- it has been somebody different each time. "

Jamie Hoffmann went 4-for-4 with four RBI while Eric Austvold collected two hits and drove in five runs as the Eagles toe-tagged St. Francis 17-3 in the opening round of the tournament.

All New Ulm starters each had at least one hit and all nine starters scored.

Bob Wellmann got the win for New Ulm going four innings and allowing five hits and three runs while striking out three.

Ryan Gratton took the loss for the Fighting Saints, going 2 2-3 innings and giving up10 runs.

"We needed a good offensive performance," Senske said. "Bob (Wellmann) was not the Wellmann of old today. He pitched on guts today and we got four innings of out him which is something that we had to have. We are pleased that he was able to pitch but was not able to cut it loose -- and then the bats came alive."

"(My arm) hurts," said Wellmann who threw 57 pitches in his stint. "I threw about half speed today. I did it because we need pitching."

While Wellmann may have thrown only half speed, the New Ulm bats performed once again at full speed.

The Eagles would score two runs in the first inning. Keith McClellan reached on a one-out single and went to second on Jamie Hoffmann's single to center. Singles by Brandon Rolloff and Dusty Fleck made it 2-0.

St. Francis tied the game in the second and took a 3-2 lead in the third before the Eagles exploded for eight runs in the third inning and added seven more in the fourth.

Singles by McClellan, Hoffmann and Rolloff loaded the bases for a groundout by Fleck tied the game.

Hoffmann and Rolloff scored on Jace Marti's bloop double to center. Blake Thorson reached on an error and a four-pitch walk to Isaac Forstner loaded the bases. Eric Austvold then unloaded with a three-run triple to center that ballooned the Eagle lead to 8-3. A walk to McClellan ended Gratton's day. Chris Firl came in and was greeted by a two-run double by Hoffmann -- the third of his four hits in the game. "I was 0 for the state tournament last year and I wanted to come out and get a hit at least."

New Ulm then added seven more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Marti and Blake Thorson and a two-run double by Eric Austvold. Hoffmann's two-run single off of Nick Pack, the third St. Francis pitcher, made it 16-3 before an error plated the Eagles' 17th run.

"With our hitting, I think that we can win the state," said Wellmann.

ST. FRANCIS 021 00 -- 3 6 3

NEW ULM 208 7X -- 17 17 0

WP; Wellmann.LP: Gratton. 2B: White (SF), J. Marti (NU), Austvold (NU), Hoffmann (NU).

NORTHFIELD 050 010 0--6 9 2

NEW ULM 026 000 X--8 12 1

WP: Cariveau. LP: Barry. 2B: Foss (N), Torino (N), Hoffmann (NU), Forstner (NU), Amy (N). HR: Barry (N).

NEW ULM 17, ST, FRANCIS 3 (Five innings)