Junior Legion wins pair

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NORTHFIELD -- Someday, it just doesn't pay to show up.

Worthington Post 3958 came into Friday's game with the New Ulm Junior Legion with a record of 22-8. If only they had played like it.

Worthington committed five errors leading to six unearned runs and two pitchers served up 13 hits. New Ulm capitalized and routed Worthington 15-4 in five innings at Sechler Park in the quarterfinals of the VFW State Baseball Tournament.

"I don't want to seem arrogant, but Worthington doesn't play the competition we do, down there in the southwestern part of the state," New Ulm coach Ed Tietel said. "But I didn't expect to win by the 10-run rule. I expected to win, but I didn't expect this."

The win sends New Ulm (32-7) into the winners bracket semifinals where the Junior Legion will meet North St. Paul at 4 p.m. today at Memorial Field in Dundas.

Tietel was not being arrogant, just honest. New Ulm completely dominated the game and was never threatened, even after emptying the dugout in the final innings.

And this came after the Junior Legion struggled to produce only three runs in their 10-inning play-in win over Sauk Rapids.

"I think we just showed up and put it together as a team," Junior Legion center fielder Eric Austvold said. "They just threw it into the meat zone. We got pretty much what we wanted."

Austvold went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI -- one of three Junior Legion hitters to get a pair of hits. Kory Anderson went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, and Dusty Wilfahrt was 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored.

"The first game, we were a little tired," Wilfahrt said. "In the second game, we hit the ball pretty solid, found some gaps. They didn't change anything up. It was like it was on a tee for us to hit."

Worthington starter Dan O'Brien (6-2) took the loss, surrendering nine runs on nine hits in just 2 1-3 innings.

Dusty Fleck (5-0) benefited from the Junior Legion offensive onslaught. Fleck pitched the first three innings for the win, allowing no runs on one hit.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning, New Ulm exploded for seven runs in the top of the third. The Junior Legion sent 11 batters to the plate and sent O'Brien on his way.

New Ulm used six hits -- including run-scoring singles from Dan Kitzberger, Anderson and Matt Suess. The big hit, though, came from Austvold -- a one-out double to right field that scored two runs and put New Ulm up 9-0.

O'Brien left in favor of Kyle Shaughnassy, but after getting out of the third without any additional carnage, Shaughnassy found it was his turn to be victimized. New Ulm picked up four more runs in the fourth and did it on only two hits as Worthington committed three errors in the inning.

The Junior Legion then added its final two runs in the fifth on a two-RBI single by Wilfahrt.

"We didn't talk much about the first game (between games)," Wilfahrt said. "But we thought we'd come out strong."

And doing that made everybody on the New Ulm side of the field happy.

"I'm extremely happy," Tietel said. "We're 2-0 in the winners bracket. I can't ask for anything more."

Jr. Legion 3, Sauk Rapids 1, 10 innings

New Ulm scored two runs on four straight hits in the top of the 10th inning to decision Sauk Rapids 3-1 Friday afternoon in a play-in game.

The Junior Legion scored both of its runs with two out. Austvold doubled to left-center, and Isaac Forstner and Jace Marti followed with RBI singles.

Bobby Wellmann worked nine innings to earn the win, allowing one unearned run on five hits. Wellmann (9-1) struck out nine and walked three.

Chris Cariveau worked the bottom of the 10th for the save.

James Dumont (0-1) took the loss for Sauk Rapids. Dumont worked the final two innings and surrendered two runs on five hits.

Sauk Rapids (24-20) got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the third. David Kelm reached on one of four New Ulm errors and later scored on a Travis Sand single.

The Junior Legion answered in the top of the fourth, scoring an unearned run without a hit. Courtesy runner Matt Suess scored on one of three Sauk Rapids errors in the inning.

1st Game

JR. LEGION 000 100 000 2 -- 3 6 4

SAUK RAPIDS 001 000 000 0 -- 1 6 5

Wellmann, Cariveau (10) and Thorson. Hille, Dumont (9) and Lynch. W--Wellmann, 9-1. L--Dumont, 0-1. S--Cariveau. HRs--None. T--2:36.

2nd Game

JR. LEGION 027 42 -- 15 13 3

WORTHINGTON 000 13 -- 4 6 5

Fleck, Hofmeister (4) and Janni. O'Brien, Shaughnassy (3) and Rezek. W--Fleck, 5-0. L--O'Brien, 6-2. HRs--None. T--1:29.