Gold edges

Eagle Lake

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Sometimes one of the most basic plays in baseball can be the hardest to execute.

Joey Barr's wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning on a planned intentional walk to Andy Stolt scored Craig Spelbrink from third and lifted New Ulm Gold to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Eagle Lake Tuesday night in South Central Legion play at Johnson Park.

Bob Wellmann was credited with the win for Gold (5-1,) pitching the final four innings in relief of starter John Enter. Wellmann struck out four and allowed two hits. Enter started for New Ulm and gave up four runs on nine hits while striking out two.

Joey Barr took the loss for Eagle Lake (5-5) going all 10 innings, fanning eight and allowing only five hits. Two of New Ulm's runs were unearned.

Craig Spelbrink collected two of New Ulm's hits while Mark Rivers banged out three hits for Eagle Lake. Brandon Polzin and Mark Tindall each had two hits with Tindall blasting a three-run first-inning home run.

"Most pitchers are not used to having to pitch (for an intentional) walk. They do not have to do that in high school," said Gold coach Dave Kunz. "Unfortunately for Joey (Barr) it did not work out."

New Ulm pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning after seeing potential game-winning chances slip by in both the seventh and ninth innings.

In the seventh, Eric Austvold was hit by an 0-2 Barr pitch to start the inning. But Barr got the next three hitters to end the threat.

And in the ninth, Gold had the game-winning run on third when Dan Kitzberger led off with a walk and stole second with none out. Brandon Reinarts walked before both runners moved up to second and third on an Austvold sacrifice bunt. But Barr again got tough and retired the next two hitters to end the threat.

"(In the seventh inning) we came within an inch of winning the game," commented Kunz about Hoffmann's fly ball that was caught on a running catch by center fielder Cole Nelson. "I was going to give him (Hoffmann) a swing."

New Ulm then copped the win in the 11th. Spelbrink legged out an infield single and went to second on Travis Thorson's sacrifice bunt. Jace Marti's infield single and an interference call on Eagle Lake shortstop Tom Metzger moved Spelbrink to third. Barr then went to a 1-0 count on Stolt on the intentional walk before bouncing one in the dirt and by catcher Brandon Polzin.

Eagle Lake had taken a 4-0 lead in the first inning off John Enter when Mark Norland singled and Cole Nelson walked. Tindall then cleared the bases one out later on a home run over the fence in left. Mark Rivers singled and eventually scored on Metzger's ground out.

Gold scrapped away at Barr scoring twice in the fourth inning on a Hoffmann infield single, a walk to Joey Schugel and an error by Tindall at first base.

Gold tied the contest at 4 in the sixth. Schugel walked and Spelbrink singled him to third. Spelbrink went to second on a ground out before Schugel scored on a wild pitch on a strike out. Spelbrink scored on a wild pitch.

EAGLE LAKE 400 000 000 0--4 11 1

NEW ULM GOLD 000 202 000 1--5 5 0