Blue eliminates

Lamberton, 6-3

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

FAIRMONT -- New Ulm Legion Blue head coach Paul Buboltz said it best.

"We won the game playing New Ulm baseball."

Righthander Dusty Fleck held Lamberton bats to six hits, and Blue scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to eliminate Lamberton 6-3 Sunday afternoon in the Second District American Legion Baseball Tournament.

Fleck struck out only one but only allowed two hits after the second inning to pick up the win.

Ryan Baker took the loss in relief for Lamberton, which ends its season with a 20-8 mark.

Jeff Dolan and Fleck each had two hits for Blue.

Isaac Jenniges led Lamberton with three hits.

New Ulm would score the eventual winning runs in the bottom of that sixth inning when pinch-hitter Matt Suess singled. Isaac Forstner was safe, and Suess took second when first baseman Mike Redman dropped a throw from pitcher Ryan Baker on a Forstner bunt.

Corey Schnobrich followed with another bunt that was fielded by second baseman Colby Pack. Pack's throw went down the right field line, scoring Suess for a 4-3 New Ulm lead.

Forstner then scored when Jeff Dolan laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to increase the lead to 5-3.

Schnobrich then hustled home on a Brandon Rolloff single to center.

"New Ulm baseball is execution and more execution.," said Buboltz. 'We executed well today. We wanted to make them make the plays and see what they could do."

Lamberton had taken a 2-0 lead over Fleck and New Ulm Blue in the second inning.

Isaac Wahl reached on an error and went to second on a Ryan Baker sacrifice bunt.Tavis Kottke singled. A stolen base, a sacrifice fly and a Jenniges' bloop double gave Lamberton a 2-0 lead.

Blue knotted the game in the bottom of the third. Forstner reached on an error and went to second on a Schnobrich sacrifice bunt. A Jeff Dolan single and a Fleck double cut the lead to 2-1.

Brandon Rolloff walked and Travis Boddy was hit by an Adam Schumacher pitch to tie the game at 2-2.

Both teams scored a run in the fourth with Wahl singling, stealing second and going to third on a Baker sacrifice bunt. He scored on a Kottke groundout.

Blue got its run thanks to a Lamberton error.

Forstner reached on a boot by third baseman Isaac Jenniges and went to second on a wild pitch..

Jeff Dolan brought in Forstner with a double to right field.

'This is a good win for us,"said Buboltz. "We are looking forward to next Friday."

"I had a little trouble finding the strike zone at first,":said Fleck. "But as the game went on, I threw more off-speed stuff"

LAMBERTON 020-100-0=3-6-5

NEW ULM BLUE 002-103-X=6-6-4