Wilfahrt tosses 1-hitter,

Gold tops Sioux Falls

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- In a game in which New Ulm Gold could not get a key hit when they needed one, two errors by Sioux Falls (S.D.) West resulted in their only run.

Eric Austvold scored from second base on Sioux Falls' second error of the inning -- both by second baseman Josh Kaiser -- and Dusty Wilfahrt did the rest as Gold edged a solid West team 1-0 in the Upper Midwest Classic Thursday night at Johnson Park.

Wilfahrt got the win, allowing only one hit and three baserunners, striking out seven and hitting a batter. Wilfahrt set down the first 16 men he faced before hitting Andy Johnson with one out in the sixth.

Jared Greenfield also threw a strong game for West, allowing seven hits and working out of two bases-loaded jams in the game.

Keith McClellan led New Ulm with two hits. Jamie Hoffmann belted a first inning triple.

Travis Nordstrom had the only West hit, that following Johnson being hit.

"We misfired on a few hit-and-runs and we did not get the job done with the bunt," said Gold coach Dave Kunz. "Those are little things that we have been doing so far this season. Maybe it is because it is our first game of the tournament and we were a little nervous in front of the home crowd."

If the team was nervous in front of the large home crowd, one player who was not was the right-handed Wilfahrt, who cruised through the first 5 1-3 innings, setting down West batters in order.

"He pitched well tonight," commented Kunz. "I wanted him to start the first game (of the Classic) because I figured that he would start us off right and give us a good game. I didn't think that he would pitch quite that well -- he showed what he could do."

While Sioux Falls did not mount any sort of threat until that sixth inning, Gold had many scoring chances, but failed to capitalize on them.

In the first inning, Hoffmann rapped a two-out triple, but was left there. In the second, New Ulm left the bases loaded.

Kyle Helget smacked a two-out single before Greenfield walked Blake Thorson and Jeff Dolan to load the bases. But Greenfield struck out Keith McClellan to end the threat.

Gold came close to scoring in the fourth when Brandon Rolloff laced a single off the glove of West third baseman Tom Hill. Helget reached second and Rolloff took third when Greenfield's throw to second on a Helget bunt sailed into center field. Kunz then called for the suicide squeeze that Jeff Dolan got down, but Rolloff was out at home when catcher Bryce Ahrendt tagged Rolloff out at home on a close play on a throw from Greenfield.

Gold put together a threat again in the sixth only to see Rolloff again tagged out at home on a close play. Rolloff walked to start that inning and both Rolloff and Thorson were safe on an error by West third baseman Tom Hill. After Dolan popped out, McClellan connected for a single to left and when Rolloff tried to score, he was out on a throw by left fielder Andy Johnson to Ahrendt.

Gold then scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh. Jace Marti singled, but was caught stealing after Hoffmann flew out to first base. Austvold was hit by a pitch and Dusty Fleck's grounder to Kaiser was bobbled allowing both runners to reach. Rolloff's potential inning-ending grounder to Kaiser was booted and Austvold scored.

"Leaving (12) runners on base in the game started to get us frustrated," commented Kunz. "But we know that we have to make the other team make the plays. We got all of our rallies started with one or two outs. That always hurts, too."

Kunz said he will send right-hander Chris Cariveau to the mound when Gold plays Omaha (Neb.) at 7:30 p.m. today.

NEW ULM GOLD 000 000 1--1 7 1

SIOUX FALLS WEST 000 000 0--0 1 4

WP: Wilfahrt. LP: Greenfield., 3B: Hoffmann (NU).