Kern, Mankato Twins hold Kaiserhoff to three hits

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Maybe it was a sign of things to come.

When the scoreboard at Johnson Park was turned on prior to the start of the New Ulm Kaiserhoff-Mankato Twins' game Tuesday night, the home half of the scoreboard for runs scored was burned out until the eighth inning.

For all intents, all nine innings could have been burned out as righthander Joe Kern scattered three hits and struck out six as Mankato topped the Kaiserhoff 2-0 in a Southern Minny League game.

Kern allowed only three harmless singles -- two by Josh Hinson and one by Cory Ranweiler in picking up the win.

Andy Stolt pitched a strong game for the Kaiserhoff allowing only seven hits and one unearned run in his 7 1/3 innings of work, while recording two strikeouts.

Ryan Wellmann pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit.

New Ulm remains in Southern Minny action when they host Rochester Thursday night at 8 p.m. at Johnson Park.

Jay Nessler collected three of Mankato's eight hits, banging out two doubles and a single.

John Landkammer added two hits and an RBI.

Mankato, who would threaten in both the first and second innings when they left runners in scoring position, would get to Stolt after Kern worked out his most serious jam of the game.

In the Kaiserhoff fourth, Hinson led off with a single to center and would move to second on Lance Buck's sacrifice bunt.

Cory Ranweiler's groundout to shortstop placed Hinson on third but Kern retired Brady Ranweiler on a lazy fly ball to center.

In the top of the fifth, Dan Roehl led off with a base hit and scampered to second on Ryan Kapsner's sacrifice bunt.

A Brad Hove groundout and a John Landkammer single to center gave the Twins a 1-0 lead.

Mankato, who had lost to the Kaiserhoff earlier in the season in Mankato, padded their lead in the sixth with another run -- this one unearned.

Jay Nessler led off with a double to rightfield. A throwing error by shortstop Joey Schugel on a Craig Fritz groundball allowed Nessler to come in to score.

After that, the Kaiserhoff could only muster one base runner - that Cory Ranweiler's lead-off single in the seventh - off of Kern who set down the final nine New Ulm batters in a row.

MANKATO 000--011-000=2-8-1

KAISERHOFF 000-000-000=0-2-3

WP:Kern. LP: Stolt. 2B: Nessler 2 (M).