Legion Blue runs over

error-prone Sioux Falls

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm Legion Blue coach Paul Buboltz told his team prior to their game with Sioux Falls, S.D., that "they wanted to gain a little respect" in the tournament.

In their first game of the Upper Midwest Classic, Gold did just that.

Dusty Fleck pitched six innings of six-hit ball and also drove in two runs as New Ulm Blue scampered by an error-prone Sioux Falls Roadrunner squad 11-6.

Fleck struck out two in his six innings of work, giving up three runs, all of which came in the third inning.

Ben Fujan was tagged with the loss for Sioux Falls, which was without two of its top players.

Brandon Rolloff led Blue with a 4-for-5 plate performance while Fleck and Jacob Mertz both had two hits. One of Fleck's hits was a two-run second-inning home run.

Landon Larson and Darren Terveen both had two hits with Terveen driving in three runs, two on a seventh-inning triple.

"We wanted to come out and get a win right away" said Buboltz, whose team had a 4-18 record in their tournament history. "Dusty pitched a real nice game. We wanted to jump on them right away."

Blue did just that scoring twice in the first inning. Both Tyler Janni and Fleck reached on one-out errors (Sioux Falls was charged with seven boots in the game) before Brandon Rolloff lined a single to left for a 1-0 lead. Travis Boddy drew a walk with New Ulm scoring its second run on a Jacob Mertz infield single.

New Ulm added three more runs in the second after two were out. Janni singled to center and Dusty Fleck did not wait long to bring him home, drilling the first pitch from Fujan over the fence in right field. Rolloff followed with a single before Fujan walked both Boddy and Mertz to load the bases. Kyle Helget's grounder to shortstop was booted by Jeff Mootz allowing Rolloff to score.

Isaac Forstner's lead-off double in the third sparked a two-run tally for Blue. Corey Schnobrich's sacrifice bunt was thrown down the first-base line by Fujan, permitting Forstner to score. Schnobrich stole second, went to third on a throwing error by catcher Aaron Schulte and scored on Fleck's groundout.

The Roadrunners got to Fleck for three runs in the third. Chase Ohme reached on a fielder's choice and Landon Larson singled. Darren Terveen's base hit plated Ohme with Larson trotting home on an error. Fujan then helped his own cause with and RBI double to left.

New Ulm countered with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Fleck's RBI single brought in Schnobrich and pinchrunner Gary Wurtzberger came home on an error. Five of New Ulm's runs were unearned.

In the sixth, two more runs came home on errors.

Sioux Falls added two runs in the seventh on Terveen's two-run triple off reliever Scot Hofmeister.

"It was Dusty's first start on the mound this year," said Buboltz. "He pitched some innings in relief at Fairmont and did a nice job. And Brandon (Rolloff) has been hitting the ball well for us."

NEW ULM BLUE 232 002 0--11 12 2

SIOUX FALLS 003 001 2-- 6 9 7

WP:Fleck. LP: Fujan. 2B:Forstner (NU), Fujan (SF), Rhead (SF). 3B:Terveen (SF). HR: Fleck (NU).