Sleepy Eye powers to 11-5 win over Leavenworth

By HANS BIEBL

Journal Sports Writer

Sleepy Eye -- A potent Sleepy Eye offense slammed three home runs Thursday night as the Indians axed the Leavenworth Orioles 11-5 in a Tomahawk East league Section Two seeding game.

Long balls by Cody Walter, Brian Hertling and Brooks Deibele combined with a quality start on the mound by Hertling were too much for Leavenworth to handle.

Tied 3-3 in the fifth, Sleepy Eye broke open the game and never looked back.

After Jim Eckstein drew a walk, Deibele bounced a run-scoring double off the wall in left. A batter later, Hertling, the winning pitcher, helped his cause by sailing a two-run shot over the 333 ft. sign in left to give the Indians a 6-3 lead.

After widening the gap to 7-3 in the sixth, Sleepy Eye's bats struck again in the seventh. Bob Schmid began the rally with a single up the middle.

A free pass to Loren Havemeier moved Schmid to second and allowed Jadon Witte to collect two RBI on his triple to right that followed. Witte then scored on a Leavenworth throwing error.

Deibele added a solo dong in the eighth to give the Indians 11 runs on the night.

It was lucky sevens for Hertling, the benefactor of the hot Sleepy Eye sticks, who went seven innings, allowed seven hits and struck out seven. He gave up three runs and walked two.

Leavenworth's Leon Hillesheim suffered the loss in pitching five and 2-3 innings. He allowed seven runs--six earned--on eight hits. He struck out four and walked three.

The Orioles jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first off Hertling. Leavenworth's Mike Nachreiner began the game by singling up the middle and stealing second.

A Tony Pelzel bloop single advanced Nachreiner to third before Randy Armbruster's sacrifice fly to center scored Nachreiner. Two batters later, Gabe Hirsch knocked a double to the right-center gap that scored Pelzel and gave the Orioles the early 2-0 lead.

Unfortunately for Leavenworth, they were to muster only three more insignificant runs on the night.

Sleepy Eye, on the other hand, eased itself into the scoring. A single run in the first started with a Cody Walter single.

After three unsuccessful pick off attempts of Walter, the fourth attempt ended up in right field and left Walter standing on third. Jim Eckstein picked up the RBI with a single to right.

Jason Nachreiner mopped up the final innings for Leavenworth and allowed four runs, beginning with the Indian rally in the seventh. Andy Konz and Dean Brinkman each tossed an inning of relief for Sleepy Eye.

The seeding game also determined drafting rights for the two teams. With its two picks, Sleepy Eye drafted pitcher/catcher John Beckius of Hanska and pitcher Jesse Berg of Sprinfields.

Leavenworth chose Dayton Larson of Hanska and Adam Luckhart of Springfield.

Sleepy Eye will host St. James at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Leavenworth 200 010 020=5-9-5

Sleepy Eye 102 031 31x=11-11-2

WP: Hertling. LP: Hillesheim