NU Legion Gold splits

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm Legion Gold experienced the best and the worst of both worlds Wednesday night, splitting a nonconference doubleheader with Fridley.

In the opener, Ryan Wellmann pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball as Gold played errorless ball in a 2-1 win behind a Joey Schugel solo home run.

But in the nightcap, Gold was guilty of four errors and three New Ulm pitchers gave up 10 hits as New Ulm fell 10-6. The split moves New Ulm to 4-3 on the season. They begin play tonight in the Sioux Falls Tournament when they meet Luverne.

GOLD 2, FRIDLEY 1

Ryan Wellmann allowed only a second-inning single while striking out four to get the win for New Ulm.

Gold, which stranded seven runners in the first game and had two baserunners thrown out trying to steal in the first inning, broke through on Fridley starter and loser Adam Stromgren in the second inning when Joey Schugel belted a 2-2 offering over the fence in right field.

It seemed like that lead would be all Wellmann would need as he retired 11 straight Fridley hitters.

Gold increased the lead to 2-0 in the fifth as John Enter drew a one-out walk, took second on a Jamie Hoffman groundout and scored on Scott O'Brien's base hit.

Wellmann ran into control problems in the sixth, walking Jeff Snegosky to lead off the inning. He took second on a sacrifice bunt. Don Fraser walked to end Wellmann's tenure with reliever Scott O'Brien issuing a walk to load the bases and a Dave Roppe sacrifice fly to plate the only Fridley run of the game.

FRIDLEY 000 001 0--1 1 1

GOLD 010 010 x--2 5 0

W--Wellmann. L--Stromgren. 2B--New Ulm, Larson. HR--New Ulm, Schugel.

FRIDLEY 10, GOLD 6

Fridley broke open a 6-6 game in the seventh with four runs to get a split.

Travis Thorson took the loss for Gold in relief of Drew Waibel. Waibel replaced starter Ryan Walters who hurt his arm after only 1/3 of an inning.

John Ondrey got the win for Fridley.

Fridley scored a run in the first inning on a T.J. Therren single before Gold took a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Andy Stolt reached on an error and went to third on John Enter's sacrifice bunt. He scored on Scott O'Brien's double. O'Brien stole third and scored on a throwing error on the steal of third.

But Fridley scored five runs in the fourth on six hits. John Ondrey's two-run triple, an RBI single, gave the visitors a 4-2 lead. A bunt single, a sacrifice fly and another RBI single made it a 6-2 Fridley lead.

Isaac Larson's RBI single in the fourth cut the lead to 6-3 before New Ulm plated three runs in the fifth to tie the game.

Craig Spelbrink reached on an error and scored on Enter's triple. Enter scored on a wild pitch. Another run tied the game at 6-all.

Fridley then won the game in the seventh on an error, a walk and Chris Perras' three-run homer. A walk, another Gold error and a double closed out the scoring for Fridley.

FRIDLEY 100 500 4--10 10 5

GOLD 002 130 0-- 6 8 4