Blue falls to Burnsville 4-2

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Poor hitting and a failure to execute by New Ulm Legion Blue spelled a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Burnsville Sunday afternoon in the Upper Midwest Classic.

"We did not execute today," said New Ulm Blue coach Rob Geistfeld. "If we get the bunt down, we have the tying run at second base with one out. Maybe it just was inexperience."

New Ulm Blue, like in their first game against Sioux Falls East, had scored a run without the aid of a run, and put together a potential game-tying rally in the seventh.

Nick Olson singled and Al Schwartz drew a walk off of Burnsville reliever Dan Mielke. But Schwartz was caught off of second base on a missed bunt by Andy Boyle and was tagged out after a short rundown. Boyle then drew a free pass to again put New Ulm runners on first and second - this time with one out.

But Mielke got Jon Koeckeritz to ground into a 6-4-3 game-ending double play.

The Cobras had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off of Blue starter and loser Curt Thoreson. Seth Engelberg walked, took third on one of four New Ulm Blue errors and then scored on a wild pitch.

But New Ulm Blue knotted the game in the second. Kyle Reinarts walked and went to second on a Jacob Meyer sacrifice bunt. Dan Berg's groundout advanced Reinarts to third and also scored on a wild pitch.

Burnsville pushed three runs across in the fourth. Rob Wiens and Tyler Peterson singled before a double steal and a walk to Ben Turnwall loaded the bases.

An error and a two-run double by Dan Mielke upped the lead to 4-1.

Blue added their second run of the game -- again without a hit -- in the fifth.

Mitch Blackstad was hit by a pitch and Koeckeritz walked. Blaclstad went to third on a fielder's choice and scampered home on a passed ball.

"We faced some good pitchers in the tournament," said Geistfeld. 'We hit the ball -- we put it in play but we hit it at people. We cane up short. I would give our team a "B" grade -- we were in three of the games until the last inning."

Sioux Falls E. 2, NU Blue 1

NEW ULM - Sioux Falls East Josh Berndt tossed six innings of no-nit ball and his leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh keyed the winning rally for East has they topped New Ulm Blue 2-1.

Berndt struck out only two and retired the first 12 batters he facecd before hitting Brett Fleck to start the fifth inning. The only hit that he allowed came on a leadoff single in the seventh by Mikale Gustafson.

Curt Thoreson took the loss for Blue pitching the seventh inning. Adam Slander went six innings for New Ulm and scattered four hits while striking out one.

Josh has been throwing well for us all year," said East coach Pat Dolan. "When you get pitching like that, you will win some ballgames."

But New Ulm Blue's Adam Slander also pitched a strong game as he allowed only one runner to reach third base in his six innings of work, that coming in the fifth inning when Berndt reached third with two outs before Slander got Zane Froelich to pop out for the third out.

Both teams scored a run without the aid of a hit.

New Ulm Blue took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Brett Fleck became the first New Ulm runner to reach base when Berndt hit him. Ryan Turbes' sacrifice bunt moved him to third before Andy Boyle's groundball was booted to put runners on first and third with one out. Curt Thoreson's sacrifice fly plated Fleck.

East knotted the game in the bottom of the sisth. Toby Uptkes was hit by a Slander offering and went to second on a balk. Ben Snow's sacrifice bunt and a Matt Adamson sacrifice scored Uptkes.

East avoided a Blue run in the top of the seventh when Gustafson got to third with two outs but died there on a Boyle fly out.

East then won the game in the bottom of the seventh when Berndt singled and scored on double by Josh Rorich.

Berndt and Rorich each had two hits in the game