VFW Gold holds off Hutch

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm VFW Gold team scored just enough runs and held off a late rally by Hutchinson and won 14-13 Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Jr. Classic.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Hutchinson's Justin Juergenson hit a short fly ball to center. New Ulm center fielder Andy Kitzberger took a step back, then broke toward the ball, making a diving catch for the final out.

"At first I thought it was going to be caught, but then I saw him drop back and I was like 'oh no,'" New Ulm catcher Jon Curry said. "But then I saw he caught it and everything was alright."

Curry sparked New Ulm, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double.

"We haven't really hit the ball well all season yet," Curry said. "We've had spurts of it, but not really."

Hutchinson grabbed a 2-0 lead off New Ulm starter Tom Fischer in the first inning thanks to Brad Bennin's double. New Ulm scored three runs in the second inning. Alex Kral picked up his only hit of the game with a double to left, scoring two. New Ulm upped its lead in the third inning when it scored four runs. Curry doubled to put runners on second and third, and Gary Wilfahrt and Al Schwartz added run-scoring singles giving New Ulm a 7-2 lead.

"I was seeing it really well today," Curry said. "It was basically coming in like a balloon."

Hutchinson scored a run in the fourth, and New Ulm again scored four runs in the fourth. Dan Drexler and David Rodenberg started the inning with singles and both scored on Fischer's hit. Curry picked up an RBI, scoring Fischer and Curry later scored to make it 11-3.

Hutchinson began its late run in the fifth inning as it scored four runs, highlighted by Bennin's two-run single and Brent Larson's double. Alex Ljundgren added an RBI to make it 11-7.

New Ulm scored two runs in the fifth after Drexler singled and scored on Rodenberg's triple. Curry's single scored Rodenberg to make it 13-7.

Hutchinson scored one more run in the sixth and New Ulm matched it with a run of their own. Rodenberg singled with two outs to score Kral, making it 14-8. Wilfahrt came in with two out in the seventh and the bases loaded. He hit Jimmy Klein with a pitch and gave up three straight singles. Rodney Kuhl and Thomas Jansick had back-to-back infield singles, each scoring a run.

Wilfahrt got Juergensen to fly out and end the threat.

"I thought our pitchers did a good job of getting the ground ball, but they just found the little gap here or there and we didn't have the opportunity to make a play."

New Ulm (9-7) continues pool play today with a 5 p.m. game with Sioux Falls at Johnson Park.