New Ulm Gold

advances to

championship

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Eric Austvold's one-out single in the last of the ninth inning -- his third hit of the game -- scored Tyson Anderson from third and lifted New Ulm Gold to a 5-4 win over Minot Sunday in a semi-final game of the 2003 Central Plains Regional Baseball Tournament.

The win means that New Ulm Gold (33-8) will meet Rochester (47-4) tonight at 7 o'clock with the winner advancing to the 2003 American Legion World Series.

Dusty Wilfahrt got the win for New Ulm Gold in relief of starter Dusty Farasyn who went the first 6 1/3 innings. Farasyn allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out seven.

Wilfahrt pitched the final 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out four and walking seven.

Charlie Shirek, the third of three pitchers used by Minot, took the loss. Minot ends its season with an impressive 44-17 mark.

Austvold led New Ulm with three hits and and the game-winning RBI. Jamie Hoffmann added two hits and two RBI. Keith McClellan and Austvold had doubles.

Mike Lundeen led Minot with a 4-for-5 plate performance, driving in four runs with two home runs and a double.

"We just had enough pitching tonight,"said New Ulm Coach Dave Kunz. "We struggled with some walks (nine). ... We put way too many guys on base, but we played some good defense. The guys just hung in there. When the game was over, I told them 'Guys, look at that scoreboard.' I asked them 'When did we get a lead?' It was not until the ninth. They hung in there."

Minot held a 4-1 lead over New Ulm before Gold tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

In the ninth inning, Gold won the game for an estimated crowd of 1,375 fans.

Tyson Anderson reached on an error by Minot third baseman Andrew Gudmunson. A wild pitch moved him to second with a passed ball putting Anderson at third. Keith McClellan drew a walk before Charlie Shirek struck out Jeff Dolan. Shirek worked Austvold to an 0-2 count before Austvold came through with the game-winning hit.

"I had two strikes on me which made me a little nervous," Austvold said. "But I got done what had to be done."

The Vistas, who made trips to the Regional Finals two of the last three years, mounted scoring threats in the final four innings.

However, New Ulm's ability to turn a double play in the sixth ended one threat. In the seventh, Minot's Josh Heilman led off with a double but was picked off second on a perfect throw from catcher Blake Thorson. The next hitter, Dale Allard, doubled to end Farasyn's duty on the mound. The Vistas loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth innings but failed to score with Allard out trying to score on a wild pitch in that eighth inning after Wilfahrt had walked the bases loaded.

"We had some big plays in the game. It was good head's up defense, which is something that we have been living with all year," said Kunz.

Minot took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Mike Lundeen two-run home rum before New Ulm cut that to 2-1 in the bottom of the first on a Jamie Hoffmann sacrifice fly.

Lundeen's RBI double in the third made it a 3-1 game before his second home run of the game in the fifth upped the lead to 4-1.

But New Ulm tied the game in the fifth.

Anderson walked and scored on McClellan's double. An error and a Hoffmann sacrifice fly pulled New Ulm to within 4-3 and a Kyle Marti base hit tied the game setting the stage for Austvold's heroics after Minot squandered scoring chances.

"We are right where we want to be," said Austvold. "We are one win from a World Series and playing at home is an advantage."

MINOT 201-010-000-4-10-3

NEW ULM 100-030-001+5-9-2

WP; Wilfahrt. LP: Shirek. 2B: Allard (M), Lundeen (M), Heilman (M), McClellan (NU), Austvold (NU). HR: Lundeen 2 (M).