Gold wins pair, stays alive

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

HERMANTOWN -- It's as much a certainty as summer road construction in Minnesota. As tournaments wear down, so does the pitching.

That was a concern for New Ulm Gold coach Dave Kunz. It turns out somebody else had more to worry about than him.

Jamie Hoffmann came on in relief for Gold and threw 3 1-3 shut-out innings as New Ulm outlasted the Richfield Reds 11-5 Friday night at Fichtner Field in a losers bracket elimination game in the Minnesota State Division I Legion Baseball Tournament.

"We're getting deeper into the tournament, and with pitching, you got to figure that's the biggest thing," Kunz said. "We're starting to see pitching that's a little more hittable."

New Ulm will cross the losers bracket to play Willmar at 11 a.m. today at Wade Stadium in Duluth. Gold was sent across the bracket to avoid playing Moorhead for a second time.

Hoffmann (1-0) replaced Gold starter Craig Spelbrink, who worked the first 3 2-3 innings and allowed five runs -- four earned -- on three hits. Spelbrink walked seven Richfield batters and five of those batters later scored.

Hoffmann came on and got New Ulm (20-13) out of the fourth and then gave up only one hit in the final three innings. Hoffmann struck out two and walked only one.

"This was the first time I pitched in a while," Hoffmann said. "So, I was kind of nervous. But I had a great defense behind me. They made it easy to pitch. I just had to throw strikes."

Richfield (28-10) ran out of pitching early. New Ulm scored three times each in the first and second innings off Reds starter John Stocco (0-1).

Steven Riley started the fourth inning for Richfield and all five batters he faced scored. James Karnas got the Reds out of that jam and then held New Ulm scoreless in the final two innings.

Three Gold players had two-hit nights. Joey Schugel went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, and Brandon Reinarts went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

But the big bat was Isaac Larson. The Gold right fielder went 2-for-3 with five RBI, including a bases-clearing double to the fence in left that put New Ulm 3-0 after the bottom of the first inning.

Larson later singled in a pair of runs in Gold's five-run fourth.

"I guess they ran out of pitching," Larson said. "They were decent, we were just relaxed. We knew (Stocco) hadn't pitched much in the past."

After producing 12 runs in the first game of the tournament, New Ulm had scored only six runs in the next two. Larson said lack of offense was never a concern.

"Nothing came up about that," he said. "We knew we could do it."

Richfield almost had a big inning of its own. After the Reds scored a run each in the first and second innings, Spelbrink walked four batters in the top of the fourth -- three scored.

Hoffmann entered and got Gold out of the inning and then bore down in the final three innings, allowing Richfield only two baserunners and retiring the Reds in order in the seventh.

"Jamie came in and I thought he did great," Kunz said. "He got us out of that jam."

Legion Gold 2, Maple Grove 1, 8 innings

DULUTH -- Mitch Stueber singled to lead off the eighth inning and pinchrunner Eric Austvold scored a batter later on an error to lift Gold to a 2-1 win over Maple Grove Friday afternoon at Wade Stadium in a losers bracket elimination game.

Austvold was safely into third base on Joey Schugel's slicing single to shallow right field, and went home when Pat O'Brien's throw ricocheted into shallow left.

Andy Stolt (4-2) went the distance to earn the win. Stolt allowed five hits -- none in the final three innings -- and struck out six.

Matt Mohaupt (4-2) took the loss, also going the distance and surrendering two runs on 10 hits. Mohaupt struck out five without issuing a walk.

John Enter went 4-for-4 with run scored to lead New Ulm. Ryan Walters went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Matt Fornasiere went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored to lead Maple Grove (20-9).

Maple Grove took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Fornasiere doubled with two out and Blair Mileski singled to center.

New Ulm tied the contest in the fifth inning with a pair of two-out doubles. Enter reached on an infield single and scored a batter later on Walters double that bounced to the wall in straightaway center.

1st Game

MAPLE GROVE 001 000 00 -- 1 5 1

LEGION GOLD 000 010 01 -- 2 10 0

None out when winning run scored.

Mohaupt and Mileski. Stolt and Stueber. W--Stolt, 4-2. L--Mohaupt, 4-2. HRs--None. T--1:43.

2nd Game

RICHFIELD 110 300 0 -- 5 4 0

LEGION GOLD 330 500 x -- 11 10 1

Stocco, Riley (4), J.Karnas (4) and T.Vrieze. Spelbrink, Hoffmann (4) and Stueber. W--Hoffmann, 1-0. L--Stocco, 0-1. HRs--None. T--2:04.