Brewers win on Sleepy Eye miscues

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Sleepy Eye manager Ralph Zwaschka was philosophical.

"It was a good game," Zwaschka said. "But they made the most of our minimal errors, and that, unfortunately, was the downfall for the night. ... One miscue and that costs you, but that's the game of baseball."

The Indians' second error of the game cost them three runs. The New Ulm Brewers then defused an incipient Indian rally in the ninth inning to hold on for a 3-1 win Sunday night at Johnson Park in the Region 2C double round-robin playoffs.

The game was started Saturday night, but was suspended after the top of the second inning due to a thunderstorm.

"Sleepy Eye is always a good team," Brewers manager Chris Peters said. "They came in here playing ball pretty well, and we didn't start off as good as we should have, but we ended up winning the game."

New Ulm (25-2) scored the three decisive runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Trailing 1-0, the Brewers' Troy Kamm, who reached on a walk, scored on a throwing error by Indians shortstop Dean Brinkman on a John Enter grounder.

Two batters later, Brad Weber pumped a double to the gap in left off losing pitcher Darin Reinhart, scoring Enter and Chad Hoffmann, who had also reached on a walk, for a 3-1 New Ulm lead.

"(Reinhart) pitched a very fine ballgame," Zwaschka said. "The three runs he gave up were unearned runs."

Reinhart went the last seven innings in relief of starter Brian Hertling. Reinhart allowed seven hits and struck out four, walking two.

Hertling pitched the first inning before the thunderstorm hit Saturday night just 19 minutes into the game. When the game resumed Sunday night, Zwaschka elected to go with Reinhart.

"Basically, anytime you throw, even if it's an inning the night before, the muscles in the shoulder have a tendency to muscle up, so to speak. 'Herts' wasn't real lively last night, it was a little tight. I talked to him today and it was going to be more tight tonight."

Jeremy Wieland (12-0) started the game Saturday night and retook the mound when the game resumed. He went 8 1-3 innings and gave up eight hits before getting into a jam in the top of the ninth inning.

Trent Weicherding singled with one out and Cody Walter followed with a double to left-center field to put Indians on first and third. Wieland then left in favor of Ryan Walters, who fanned Reinhart and Adam Luckhardt to earn the save.

"Wieland, he pitched a really good game," Peters said. "He just kind of ran out steam at the end, and we had to make a move. ... He came into (Sunday night) and he said his arm felt good, so we decided to go with him."

Wieland and Reinhart were engaged in a pitcher's duel until the decisive bottom of the seventh inning. Sleepy Eye (17-11) picked up its only run in the top of the sixth inning, getting three straight singles; the third -- a Hertling single back up the middle that eluded Wieland, and then shortstop Kamm and second baseman Corey Schafer -- scored Jim Eckstein.

The Indians had a pair of baserunners in both the seventh and eighth innings, but came up empty.

Hertling went 2-for-3 for Sleepy Eye with a double. Weber had the only multiple-hit game for the Brewers, going 2-for-3.

The Region 2C double round-robin playoffs will continue today. Essig will play Sleepy Eye at 8 p.m. at Johnson Park and the Brewers will travel to Stark, also at 8 p.m.

SLEEPY EYE 000 001 000--1 8 2

NEW ULM 000 000 30x--3 7 2

Hertling, Reinhart (2) and Luckhardt. Wieland, Walters (9) and Peters. W--Wieland 12-0. L--Luckhardt. Sv--Walters. 2B--Sleepy Eye, Hertling, Krzmarzick, Walter; New Ulm, Weber, T.Hoffmann. 3B--None. HR--None. T--1:51.