Wellmann

shuts out

Eagan

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- For the 11th game this season, the New Ulm Kaiserhoff received a complete game pitching performance.

Right-hander Bob Wellmann scattered three hits and struck out eight, and Derik Johnson provided two Kaiserhoff RBI as it moved to 15-5 on the season with a 2-0 whitewash of Eagan Sunday night at Johnson Park.

Johnson led the Kaiserhoff with two hits and two RBI -- one coming on a second-inning double. Dusty Wilfahrt added a double for New Ulm.

Mark Doleng took the loss for the Bandits, going nine innings and allowing six hits while fanning five.

Wellmann, who improved his personal mark to 4-0, allowed just one Eagan base runner to get as far as second base. That action came in the eighth inning when Charlie Borrell singled and Wellmann plunked Neil Endsley with two outs before retiring Eric Swanson on a soft line drive to shortstop Pete Meier.

"This was a good one to get," said Wellmann who had his third complete game victory. "I know three of the Eagan players. I play with them at college ( Minnesota State-Mankato) -- so it was nice to come out and do a decent job. I switched up speeds enough so they could not hit me hard. Defensively, we played well (two errors)."

The Kaiserhoff, after stranding two runners on base in the first inning and then leaving the bases loaded in the second without scoring, pushed a run across in the bottom of the third off the right-handed Doleng.

Joey Schugel led off by being hit by a pitch in the left forearm. An Eric Austvold infield groundout moved Schugel to second. Johnson then delivered the first of his two key hits by slicing a double down the right field line that scored Schugel standing up.

"I hit a fast ball outside and I just went with it,"said Johnson.

"Playing the metro teams means as much as it did in high school. It is a big rivalry -most of the time,we beat the Metro teams in high school ball and we want to keep that tradition going," he said.

New Ulm added another run in the fifth when Jeff Dolan singled and swiped second. After Doleng set down the next two Kaiserhoff hitters, Johnson jumped on a 3-2 changeup and took it to center field to score Dolan for a 2-0 lead.

Wellmann permitted just one Bandit hit through the last four innings.

"I knew that our pitching staff would be competitive," said Wellmann. "We always have been competitive. Being a young team like we are is good. It gives us fire. ... Most people do not expect us to do anything."

Wellmann and the Kaiserhoff see something bigger in their youth. "I think that we can earn a trip to the state tournament. We keep on playing this way ... "

EAGAN 000-000-000=0-3-2

KAISERHOFF 001-010-00X=2-6-2

WP: Wellmann (4-0). LP: Doleng. 2B: Wilfahrt (NU), Johnson (NU).