New Ulm VFW Gold up for title

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Thirteen runners left on base. Six errors. You probably shouldn't win a game.

Sleepy Eye Post 800 almost did. New Ulm VFW Gold withstood a Sleepy Eye rally in the top of the seventh inning to take a 10-9 win Friday night in the VFW Northwest Subdistrict Tournament.

Post 800 easily outhit VFW Gold, picking up 14 hits to Gold's six. But nine of New Ulm's runs were unearned.

"In playoff time, you can't give your opposition extra opportunities and we did that," Sleepy Eye coach Bruce Woitas said. "We did that, and they cashed in. You've got to give them credit because they took advantage of our mistakes, took advantage of the extra outs."

VFW Gold (14-15) will meet the winner of the Hutchinson-Sleepy Eye contest set for 1 p.m. today in Sleepy Eye. The survivor will play New Ulm for the Northwest Subdistrict title at 4 p.m. today; a second game, if necessary, is scheduled for noon Sunday.

VFW Gold coach Bob Weier knew his team got one they probably shouldn't have.

"Sleepy Eye played very sloppy defensively," Weier said. "We came up with some big key hits late in the ballgame."

Post 800 (15-7) scored two runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 7-4 lead. With Gold limited to three hits by Dan Krzmarzick (5-2), who lasted 5 1-3 innings, it looked like the lead might hold up.

But one very key Sleepy Eye error allowed VFW Gold to score five unearned runs in its six-run bottom of the sixth.

Adam Nilson and Kyle Reinarts each hit run-scoring singles, but the big hit was Scott Knisley's two-out, three-RBI triple to the wall in right-center off reliever Joey Wahl. Knisley finished the game 2-for-4 to lead VFW Gold; Nilson went 1-for-1 and Reinarts was 1-for-4.

"Maybe it was because it was the third time through the lineup," Weier said. "This kid (Krzmarzick) was tough on some of our hitters in the first part of the ballgame. He had a nice curve ball and he got in the strike zone, and some of our younger hitters had trouble with that curve ball."

New Ulm still had to survive a two-run top of the seventh by Post 800. New Ulm reliever Nilson, who got the win, issued two one-out walks on nine pitches. After Wahl flied out to left, but not deep enough to plate a runner at third, Cole Helget doubled in two runs.

But Nilson got Dan Peterson to fly out to center to end the threat and the game.

"We banged out 14 hits, but we still left guys on base," Woitas said. "We weren't getting key hits. They came through with some key hits. That's the way the game of baseball goes."

Starter J.J. Germscheid went five-plus innings for New Ulm. He gave up seven runs on 11 hits.

Jacob Bohnen, Matt Mathiowetz and Steve Seidl each had two hits for Sleepy Eye. Derek Nachreiner led Post 800, going 4-for-4 with a run scored.

VFW Gold also won its first game Friday night, topping Hutchinson 7-3. Jeremy Penkert went the distance to get the win, allowing eight hits.

Knisley went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI to lead New Ulm. Reinarts was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Mikale Gustafson was 1-for-4, but scored three runs, twice scoring after reaching on errors.

Penkert (4-0) gave up one run in the top of the first inning and kept Hutchinson off-balance until the top of the seventh inning. Tony Mortenson doubled to center with one out and two batters later Lynden Murtha hit a two-run homer over the fence in left-center to cut the New Ulm lead to 7-3. Penkert walked the next two batters, but struck out Dustin Bryan to end the game.

Jake Telecky (3-2) took the loss, lasting two batters into the sixth inning. Talecky allowed seven runs -- four earned -- on nine hits. Hutchinson committed three errors.

"It was an awfully nice day for New Ulm VFW Gold today," Weier said. "In the first game, we got some very nice hits. We scored some runs in a lot of different ways."

2nd Game

SLEEPY EYE 010 222 2--9 14 6

NEW ULM 013 006 x--10 6 2

Krzmarzick, Wahl (6) and Bohnen. Germscheid, Nilson (6) and Reinarts. W--Nilson. L--Krzmarzick 5-2. 2B--Sleepy Eye, Helget. 3B--Sleepy Eye, Gangelhoff, Jensen; New Ulm, Knisley. HR--None. T--2:03.

Germscheid pitched to two batters in the sixth inning

1st Game

HUTCHINSON 100 000 2--3 8 3

NEW ULM 102 022 x--7 10 0

Telecky, Goranson (6) and Bissen. Penkert and Turbes. W--Penkert 4-0. L--Telecky 3-2. 2B--Hutchinson, Mortenson; New Ulm, Knisley, Olson. 3B--None. HR--Hutchinson, Murtha. T--1:40.

Telecky pitched to two batters in the sixth inning