NU Brewers edge Hanska, 6-4

Brewers make American Division finals

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

HANSKA -- Scott Schaefer's ninth-inning single to right field scored John Enter with the game-winning run as the New Ulm Brewers edged Hanska 6-4 Sunday.

Schaefer and Enter each collected three of 12 Brewer hits. Schaefer had three RBI in the Tomahawk East American Division semifinal game that eliminated 12-15 Hanska.

The win puts the 23-2 Brewers in the American Division finals. The Brewers will host Essig at 8 p.m. Friday. Division drafting will follow the game. Essig eliminated Searles 6-1 Sunday.

Hanska took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Nate Gusso and Todd Olson singled. Olson was thrown out trying to steal second. Jon Beckius grounded out to short, scoring Gusso. Landis Froehling hit a line drive near the right field line but was thrown out at second base.

New Ulm tied the game in the top of the second when Chad Hoffmann walked, stole second and scored on Troy Kamm's single.

The Lakers led 3-1 in the last of the second inning, scoring twice with two out. Robin Young walked before Micade Thordson unloaded a towering homer over the left field fence.

The Brewers got within 3-2 in the third. Brad Weber doubled to left with one out, took third on Chris Peters' single and scored on Todd Hoffmann's single.

Dayton Larson homered to left in the fourth, putting Hanska up, 4-2. Meanwhile, on the mound, Beckius retired seven consecutive Brewer batters in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Froehling singled in the sixth but the Brewers turned a 5-4-3 double play to stifle the threat.

New Ulm's Corey Schaefer led off the last of the seventh with a single to right. An out later, Scott O'Brien singled to right. Scott Schaeffer's second double to right scored Corey Schaefer and O'Brien.

"When I pulled the ball, I grounded out to shortstop," said Schaefer who doubled twice and singled once. All of his hits went to right field.

Peters walked Gusso to lead off the eighth inning before he gave way to Jeremy Wieland. Wieland fanned five and allowed one out the rest of the way.

After Scott Schaefer's game-winning RBI in the ninth, New Ulm added an insurance run when Brad Weber scored on an infield out.

Wieland said he felt pretty good despite pitching all nine innings in Friday's 3-0 win over New Ulm.

"Adrenalin never hurts," Wieland said. "We got a few hits at the end to make the game more fun for us. It's good to have some close play off games so we can learn how to win them. Hanska gave us that."

Meanwhile, the result ended a tough-luck season for the Lakers who never allowed more than seven runs in a game and only that many were scored by New Ulm and Sleepy Eye.

"A couple mistakes added up on us in a hurry," Hanska Coach Blake Ellanson said. "New Ulm is a good team."

New Ulm player/coach Chris Peters was humble after the victory.

"Clutch hitting saved us," Peters said. "We beat a good team."

HANSKA 120 100 000 -- 4 8 2

NEW ULM 011 000 202 -- 6 12 1

Beckius and Piepgras; Peters, Wieland (8) and T. Hoffmann. 2B-S. Schaefer (2), Weber, Enter. 3B-none. HR-Thordson, Larson.