Mankato's luck doubles against Blue

Hits raise Mankato Post 11 to win over New Ulm Legion Blue

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Mankato Post 11 doubled their pleasure Thursday night against New Ulm Legion Blue as five of their nine hits in the game went for doubles in an 8-3 win in South Central Legion play.

Jeff Case picked up the win for Mankato (1-1) going five innings. He fanned four and allowed only three hits.

Eric Portner took the loss for New Ulm Blue (1-1) going 3 2/3 innings and yielding six runs.

Taylor Blomquist doubled twice, and Andy Stori, Adam Sorenson and Jeff Case each collected one two-bagger.

Tim Fischer doubled for Blue, who will host Sleepy Eye Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Mueller Park.

"We did not hit the ball very well tonight," New Ulm Blue coach Rob Geistfeld said. "We had runners on base -- we never quit fighting. We just did not come up with that key hit. I know that we left a lot of runners on base."

Blue stranded 11 runners in the game.

Mankato scored three runs in the first inning off of the left-handed Portner when Taylor Blomquist collected his first of two doubles in the game and Jeremy Lund reached on an error by second baseman Levi Stugelmeyer. Lund stole second and both he and Blomquist scored on Andy Stori's double to right field. Stori then stole third and scored when Blue catcher Jon Koeckeritz' throw to third sailed into left field.

"We made a mistake on (Blomquist) on an 0-2 pitch and then we had that error and then they get another double," Geistfeld said. "They ended up getting three runs on two hits -- two hits should not get you three runs."

Blue came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning and had another runner thrown out at home.

Brett Burgau reached on an error and a Landon Rewitzer sacrifice bunt moved Burgau to second. Stugelmeyer walked and a Derik Johnson groundout moved both runners up a base.

Brian Kamm followed with a two-out single to center that scored Burgau, but Stugelmeyer was out at home on a throw from center fielder Stori to catcher Adam Sorenson for the third out.

Post 11 added another run in the top of the third as Blomquist walked, stole second and trotted home on a Sorenson double.

Mankato added two more runs in the fourth on a fielder's choice, a Marcus Duenes two-out single and the second double by Blomquist which ended Portner's night on the mound as Johnson came in to get the final out.

In the sixth, Mankato plated two more runs.

But Blue rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Kamm and Andy Boyle walked. Jon Koeckeritz single scored Kamm and ended Case's mound duties. Jared Rogers was greeted by an RBI double by Tim Fischer. Landon Rewitzer walked to load the bases, but Rogers fanned Stugelmeyer to end the inning.

Geistfeld said that he was impressed with Eric Portner's first start on the mound.

"They hit him, but we did not make some plays behind him and we gave them a couple of runs," he said.

MANKATO 301 202 0 -- 8 9 4

NEW ULM BLUE 100 002 0 -- 3 4 3