Brewers top Winthrop, keep streak alive

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- When you are a team that has not lost 14 games into the season, chances are you are doing more than one thing well.

Wednesday night, the New Ulm Brewers did a lot of things well as they improved to 15-0 with a 7-1 win over Winthrop in Tomahawk East League baseball.

Tony Burt picked up the win for the Brewers who will play Sunday night at 7:30 in Springfield.

Burt went six innings and allowed only three hits and no runs while striking out four.

Scott Schaefer pitched the final three innings, permitting one run -- unearned -- on two hits while fanning three.

Jesse Erdahl was touched for the loss for Winthrop (3-9). He was charged with seven runs in five innings of work. He yielded eight hits. Chris Reese pitched the final three innings, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out three.

Scott Schaefer had a two-hit game and drove in two runs with Todd Hoffmann also driving in two runs.

Dan Anderson doubled and had two hits for the Eagles while Al Frank had the lone RBI for Winthrop.

While Burt kept up the solid Brewer pitching this season -- Winthrop's lone run broke a streak of 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings by the New Ulm staff, the Brewers also did some other things well.

They cut down a potential Winthrop run at the plate, tossed out an Eagle runner attempting to steal third, threw out a runner at first from rightfield and turned a double play to end the contest which was completed in less than two hours.

The Eagles, who will host Sleepy Eye Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m., put together a scoring threat in the second inning off of Burt.

Dan Anderson led off the inning with a double to center. After Chris Fahey flew out to center, Brennan Rath lined a single to left. Anderson attempted to score but was thrown out on a perfect throw from leftfielder Todd Hoffmann to catcher Chris Peters. Burt then fanned Al Frank to end the inning.

The Brewers, who were held hitless by Jesse Erdahl for the first two innings, plated a run in the bottom of the third.

Scott O'Brien drew a one-out walk and took second on a passed ball.A two-out wild pitch moved him to third and a Scott Schafer single to left made it 1-0.

Logan Schweiss led off the Winthrop fourth by reaching when he was hit by a Burt offering and stole second. After a Ben Melius pop-out, Schweiss was thrown out trying to steal third by Peters.

New Ulm would then push across five runs in the bottom of the inning as they mixed in five hits,a walk and two Winthrop errors to build a 6-0 lead.

Corey Schaefer singled before stealing second and third with one out. After Erdahl fanned John Enter for the second out, Scott O'Brien brought in Schaefer with a single to right and went to third when Winthrop rightfielder Scott Palmer misplayed the ball.

An RBI single by Chad Hoffmann, a Scott Schaefer single and a walk to Peters loaded the bases for Todd Hoffmann who connected for a two-run single to left and a 5-0 lead.

Courtesy runner Bruce Jacobs, running for Peters, scored the fifth run of the inning on a Winthrop fielding error.

The Brewers scored their final run of the game in the fifth when Jason Rewitzer reached on a fielder's choice and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Eagles would break the bid for a second straight shutout by the Brewer pitching staff in the seventh off of Scott Schaefer.

Anderoon laced a one-out single to left and went to third on an error on a Brennan Rath groundball. He scored on a two-out Al Frank single.

WINTHROP 000-000-100=1-5-3

BREWERS 001-510-00X-7-9-1

WP: Burt. LP: Erdahl. 2B: Anderson (W).