NU Junior Legion loses two to Eden Prairie

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Eden Prairie erased a third inning 2-0 New Ulm Junior Legion lead with six unanswered runs to topple New Ulm 6-2 Sunday night at Mueller Park.

The win completed a doubleheader sweep of New Ulm with Eden Prairie taking the first game 7-2.

Andrew DeLane got credit for the win in the nightcap in relief of starter Joe Rued. DeLane allowed only one hit in four innings while striking out two.

Zach Barrett took the loss for the Junior Legion, going the distance and allowing nine hits and fanning five.

Joe Pierce and Jason Trayner each had two hits and two RBI for Eden Prairie.

"I think that we were a little bit flat today," said Junior Legion coach LeRoy Flor. "I can't explain why we are flat -- the pitching that we faced today is better. That's OK, but we just didn't hit the ball."

New Ulm had five hits in the second game and was held to two hits in the first game.

New Ulm took a 2-0 lead off Eden Prairie starter Joe Rued in the third inning.

Bryan Kamm reached on a one-out infield single, and Adam Macho drew a walk. Josh Thorson's bunt single loaded the bases. Adam Neubauer's groundout scored Kamm with Tony Mielke's base hit scoring Macho.

Eden Prairie cut that lead in half with a solo run in the fourth. Chris Pearson rapped a one-out triple to center and scored on a Barrett wild pitch.

Eden Prairie added two more runs in the fifth. Pat Siering walked and was forced at second on a Pete Mueller groundout. But Mueller took second on a throwing error on the play. After Barrett fanned Brendan Hoops, Andrew DeLane's two-out bunt single put runners on first and third. DeLane stole second, and Mueller and DeLane came home on Joe Pierce's single to center.

Two more runs scored for Eden Prairie in the sixth. Chris Pearson led off with a double and scored on Jason Trayner's base hit to center. A stolen base, a walk, a single and an error -- New Ulm's fourth of the game -- plated the fifth run.

Three consecutive singles in the top of the seventh earned the final run for Eden Prairie.

"This time of the year, we should not be making the mistakes and errors that we are," said Flor

New Ulm (38-10) is off until tournament play which begins on Friday in New Ulm.

EDEN PRAIRIE 000-122-1=6-9-0

JUNIOR LEGION 002-000-0=2-5-4