Brewers defeat Sleepy Eye, 8-5

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- For the second straight night, the New Ulm Brewers mounted a seemingly comfortable lead with their starting pitcher well in command.

But for the second straight night, the Brewers needed to fend off a late-inning rally.

New Ulm carried a 6-0 lead into the eighth inning, but Sleepy Eye put together six hits and scored five runs before the Brewers plated two insurance runs in the ninth inning to come away with an 8-5 win in Region 2C playoffs.

Ryan Walters was the winning pitcher for New Ulm, now 3-0 in the double round-robin playoffs, going 7 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out 10.

Jon Beckius, a draftee from Hanska, tossed the final 1 1/3 innings and did not allow a run.

Andy Konz was the starting and losing pitcher for the Indians, 1-2 in the playoffs. The righthander went seven innings and permitted six runs on 10 hits. He was relieved by Tom Beito who gave up two ninth-inning runs to the Brewers.

Scott Schaefer, Chris Peters and Troy Kamm had two hits with Peters driving in four runs. Kamm and Todd Hoffmann both doubled.

Brian Hertling had two hits for the Indians with Brian Sieve and Jim Eckstein both collecting doubles.

New Ulm and Sleepy Eye will be in action tonight at home. New Ulm hosts Essig while the Indians will entertain Stark. Both games have 8 p..m. start times.

"They are a good ballclub," said manager Chris Peters about Sleepy Eye. "But we pulled out a good victory tonight - it is good to be 3-0 after tonight. Sleepy Eye is always a tough ballclub to face. They never die when they are down."

"First of all, Andy Konz pitched a good game for us tonight," commented Indian manager Ralph Zwaschka. "I thought that we could have played a little bit better defense behind him (three errors, two of which led to Brewer scores) and we might have had a little bit better of an opportunity to win this game."

The Brewers, as they had against Stark on Monday night, scored two runs in the first inning. Scott O'Brien reached on a throwing error by shortstop Brian Hertling and Brad Weber followed with a groundball single to leftfield. Scott Schaefer's bunt escaped the grasp of Konz to load the bases before Chris Peters singled in both O'Brien and a sliding Weber for a 2-0 lead.

Those two runs held up for Walters as he cruised through the first six innings,allowing only one hit - that a two-out single in the second by Jadon Witte.

New Ulm would up that lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh when Peters singled to start the inning and went to second on a Todd Hoffmann groundout. He came home on a Troy Kamm double to rightfield.

The Brewers then increasee that lead to 6-0 in the next inning, using a hit batter to start the tally and some hustle to plate those two runs.

John Enter was hit by a Konz offering and O'Brien singled to left. Weber walked to load the bases After a pop-out, Peters ground ball to second forced Weber at second but Peters beat the throw to first. On the play, Enter and a hustling O'Brien scored for a seemingly comfortable 6-0 cushion with Walters in control.

But the Indians, who had only two hits after seven innings, reached Walters for five runs in that eighth inning. Brian Sieve started the rally with a lead-off double. A Trent Weicherding fly out to right moved him to third and an Adam Luckhardt single scored him. A Cody Walter single, an RBI double by Jim Eckstein and a two-run single by Brian Hertling saw the indians pull to within 6-4. A passed ball advanced Hetling to second and a Kelly Krzmarzick single scored him. Jon Beckius relieved Walters and recorded the final two outs.

"The boys don't quit - they continued to fight back in the game," commented Zwaschka. "And they will continue to fight back in the games."

But New Ulm regained some momentum - and two big insurance runs - in the ninth inning. Peters and Todd Hoffmann both got walks from Beito to start the inning with a Kamm sacrifice bunt moving the runners to second and third. Chad Hoffmann followed with a groudball to shortstop Brian Hertling whose throw home to get pinchrunner Roddy Melzer was in time but catcher Adam Luckhardt dropped the throw. Corey Schaefer' s sacrifice fly added another run.

"That (the two runs in the ninth) was big, " said Peters."That gave (Jon Beckius) a little breathing room.."

BREWERS 200-001-302=8-10-0

SLEEPY EYE 000-000-050=5-9-3

WP: Walters. LP: Konz.