[DEMO] Gold hammers St. James

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The first time New Ulm Legion Gold met St. James, they came away with a 20-1 win.

Monday night, the end result was the similar.

Dusty Wilfahrt, Bob Wellmann and Pete Meier each banged out two hits with Wellmann driving in five runs as New Ulm downed St. James 12-2 in South Central Legion action.

The game was stopped in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the 10-run [DEMO]ule.

Dusty Farasyn got credit for the win, going six innings and recording eight strikeouts while allowing four hits.

Luke Hagen was charged with the loss for St. James, giving up six runs in three innings of work

St. James was guilty of seven errors in the game.

Tyler Kaus led St. James with a double and triple.

"This [DEMO] opportunity to start some kids (Gold rested four starters in the game) because the seedings have already been made and in the long haul, it really doesn't matter if we win or lose," said Gold coach Dave Kunz. "It was a chance to get some kids who have not had a lot of playing time."

St. James, who will begin their Second District Legion play on July 21 when they host Redwood Falls at 7:30 with the winner getting top-seeded New Ulm Gold 11 a.m. July 26 at in Sleepy Eye, jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Tyler Kaus lined a shot over the head of leftfielder Keith McClellan for a double. Matt Nass' sacrifice bunt placed Kaus on third with Derek Lanoue's two out infield single bringing Kaus in.

But the lead was [DEMO]lived as New Ulm scored four runs in the bottom of the inning with three St. James' errors helping the cause.

Dusty Wilfahrt singled with one out and went to second on an errant Luke Hagen pickoff throw.Kyle Helget walked before both runners moved up on a double steal.

Bob Wellmann's two out single to left plated both runners with Wellmann taking second when leftfielder Jake Reuter over-ran the ball.

Blake Thorson walked before Pete Meier brought in Wellmann with a base hit to left with pinch-runner Eric Austvold scoring on a second Reuter error in left.

Gold, who will play at Sleepy Eye on Wednesday in an 8 p.m. match-up, added two more runs in the third. Wellmann reached second on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Tyler Kaus. A Thorson bloop single moved him to third before Thorson was forced at second on a Meier groundball with Wellmann scoring. Meier then came home on a Jacob Mertz' single to center.

St. James cut one run off of that lead in the fifth. Jared Carlson walked and then scored on Kaus' triple to leftfield.

Gold then [DEMO] the game away in the bottom of the sixth with six runs.

Meier singled and Mertz walked. Mertz was forced at second on an Isaac Forstner groundball that plated Meier.

Keith McClellan's RBI double moved New Ulm ahead 8-2. An error allowed Wilfahrt to reach first and a Kyle Helget single scored McClellan for a 9-2 lead.Tyson Anderson was hit by a pitch and a wild pitch later scored Wilfahrt.

Bob Wellmann then ended the game with a two-run double to deep rightfield.

"I was pleased with the way that Dusty (Farasyn) threw because he has been working on some mechanics," Kunz said "He did a better job of that today -- he threw strikes --he was consistently ahead of the hitters. Plus, we had some good at-bats tonight."

ST. JAMES 100-010=2-4-7

NEW ULM GOLD 402-006=12-10-0