Jr. Legion eliminated

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Two straight losses Saturday brought about a stunning conclusion to the season for New Ulm Junior Legion.

Junior Legion fell 8-4 to Hastings and then dropped a 4-3 decision to Rosemount in an elimination game in the VFW Second District Baseball Tournament. Both games were at Johnson Park.

Rosemount's win ends Junior Legion's season at 39-12.

"We played awful, we didn't execute at all," Junior Legion coach LeRoy Flor said. "And we had four errors -- that really killed us.

"It was a successful season for us. It just ended quite abruptly."

Two of Rosemount's runs were unearned, and Junior Legion committed seven errors in the two games. But missed opportunities also hurt Junior Legion.

Trailing 4-0 to start the fifth, New Ulm scored three runs after two were out. A pair of singles and a Rosemount error, along with two walks, cut the margin to 4-3.

Junior Legion had the potential tying run at third base, but was unable to get the run home when a suicide squeeze bunt went awry.

"We just didn't execute," Flor said.

Rosemount scored two unearned runs on a pair of walks and two Junior Legion errors in the second inning. Post 9433 pushed across two more runs in the fifth inning.

Zach Barret took the loss for Junior Legion. Barret lasted 4 2-3 innings and allowed four runs -- two earned -- on six hits; he struck out one and walked three.

Landon Rewitzer led Junior Legion, going 3-for-3 with a run scored. New Ulm totalled only six hits in the game.

Hastings 8, Jr. Legion 4

Hastings Post 1210 can hit the ball. Junior Legion was its victim Saturday afternoon.

Hastings tallied six runs in the top of the fourth and decisioned New Ulm 8-4 in a winners bracket semifinal game. Junior Legion scored three of its four runs in the seventh inning.

"We didn't play real well defensively," Junior Legion coach LeRoy Flor said. "Their kid pitched a good game for them, but we didn't hit. He was a good pitcher, I'll give him that, but we didn't try to adjust at all."

Jason Hollar got the win for Hastings (15-12). Hollar went 6 1-3 innings and took a one-hitter into the seventh inning. It was only in the bottom of the seventh that Junior Legion got to Hollar, tagging him with three runs on four hits.

"He was up over 95 pitches," Hastings coach Mike Harp said. "They got a couple off of him. He was just tired. He did a hell of a job."

Hollar gave up all four Junior Legion runs -- three earned -- on five hits. He struck out seven and walked three.

Hastings, which recorded seven extra-base hits Friday night in a 12-1 win over New Ulm VFW Gold, was a bit more restrained Saturday. Post 1210 pounded out 10 hits, but only two went for extra bases.

"We got some key hits, though, from a lot of guys," Harp said. "Up and down the lineup, everybody contributed. It was a nice hitting performance, again."

Up 2-1, Hastings teed off on New Ulm starter Tony Mielke (6-4) in the top of the fourth inning. Post 1210 plated six runs on five hits and two Junior Legion errors; three of the runs were unearned.

Hastings' first two batters reached on errors. Scott Werner then got the first of four straight hits for Hastings, ending Mielke's outing.

Ryan Stoneberg, who went 2-for-5, followed with a two-RBI double to straightaway center off Nick Breu. Luke Riveness and Zach Samuelson hit back-to-back run-scoring singles.

A 5-2-3 double play erased Samuelson, but Hollar, who reached when he was hit by Breu, later scored on a passed ball to up Hastings' margin to 8-1.

"That kind of broke the game open," Harp said. "We hit the ball hard, and we had some balls that went through people. That's what you need. Baseball is sometimes a game of breaks and we got some when we needed them."

Hollar cruised through six innings, facing two more than the minimum. But Junior Legion (39-11) got a lead-off single from Josh Thorson to start the seventh. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Adam Neubauer's single to left.

Two batters later Tyler Morgan singled to right and Adam Macho followed with a single to score Morgan. Macho scored on Zach Barret's groundout.

"I've got to give the kids credit," Flor said. "At least they didn't just roll over and die. They could've just went up there and got the three outs."

HASTINGS 020 600 0--8 10 1

JR. LEGION 001 000 3--4 6 3

Hollar, Ries (7) and Stoneberg. Mielke, Breu (4), Sabatino (4) and Morgan. W--Hollar n/a. L--Mielke 6-4. 2B--Hastings, Stoneberg, A.Werner. 3B--None. HR--None. T--1:53.

Mielke pitched to three batters in the fourth inning

Breu pitched to six batters in the fourth inning