Mankato defeats Kaiserhoff

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Two errors, two runs, one costly loss.

Mankato took advantage of two New Ulm errors to score two runs, the final boot coming in the top of the 10th inning as the Twins downed the New Ulm Kaiserhoff 6-5 in non-league play Sunday night at Johnson Park.

Joe Kern got with the win for Mankato (7-3) pitching the final two innings in relief of starter Tom Stierlen.

Ryan Wellmann was tagged with the loss for the Kaiserhoff (6-3). He pitched the 10th inning in relief of starter Aaron Heitzman.

New Ulm will host Fairfax Wednesday at 8 p.m. in an Ara Wilson East League game.

Jay Nessler, Cliff Pringle, Tony Kamps and Chad Heminover each had two hits with Kamps belting a double and home run.

Cory Ranweiler led New Ulm with three hits with Aaron Dolan and Travis Fleck getting two hits each.

The Kaiserhoff, who now has two losses to Section 4B teams, held a 5-3 lead going into the top of the ninth inning due in large part to a four-run first inning.

But in the Twins' ninth, Heminover rapped a one-out single and went to second on Ryan Kapsner's double. Pinchrunner Jon Kozitka scored on an Aaron Dolan fielding error to cut the lead to 5-4. Kapsner scored on Jay Nessler's single to right field.

Mankato then scored the eventual winning run in the 10th after Wellmann had struck out the first two hitters he faced. Joe Kern walked, and Heminover hit a fly ball down the left field line that was dropped by Landon Rathmann, thus allowing Kern to score the winning run.

New Ulm took a 4-0 lead in the first inning when Dolan doubled and went to third on Cory Ranweiler's bunt single. Brady Ranweiler's one-out double scored both runners. Rathmann then coaxed a two-out walk off Stierlen which resulted in a slicing two-run double to center by Heitzman.

Mankato scored a solo run in the second on a Kamps' single that scored Cliff Pringle who doubled earlier.

Rathmann's one-out single, a two-out walk to Travis Fleck and a Fleck base hit to center lifted New Ulm to a 5-1 lead in the third.

Mankato scored two runs with two swings of the bat in the fourth inning. Craig Fritz legged out an infield single. Tony Kamps followed by drilling Heitzman's first pitch over the fence in right field.

MANKATO 010-200-002-1=6-13-0

KAiSERHOFF 401-000-000-0=5-12-2