Gold defeats

Cedar Rapids

to end season

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- New Ulm Legion Gold played its final game at the Central Plains Region without a chance to advance in the tournament.

However, Gold still had pride and respect to play for.

On Sunday morning the proud team earned some respect as Gold played sound baseball en route to a 7-1 victory over host Cedar Rapids.

With the win Gold ended its season with a record of 36-7.

Gold couldn't find its usual reliable pitching and solid defense in the first two games of the tournament. But those two keys to success came on Sunday.

Andy Stolt earned the pitching win. He went the complete seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and struck out five while issuing no free passes. His only mistake was in the second inning when Robby Jenson homered over the left field fence.

Stolt was backed by a defense that didn't commit an error until the seventh inning with two outs.

Gold did another thing on Sunday that it hadn't done all tournament -- it finally got the lead.

That feat occurred with one out in the second inning when John Enter and Craig Spelbrink had back-to-back doubles, with Enter scoring on Spelbrink's hit.

The next three batters -- Robby Geistfeld, Jace Marti and Eric Austvold -- all reached base. Marti's single drove in Spelbrink. Austvold drove in Marti and Geistfeld after they advanced on a passed ball to make Gold's lead 4-0.

Cedar Rapids cut into the lead with Jensen's home run and threatened again in the third inning when Zach Paulson reached third base.

But Stolt buckled down to get the final out of the inning and dominated the final four innings of his Legion career. He retired 12 consecutive batters, four were strike outs, including the final out in the third inning. The only player to reach base was on an error in the seventh inning.

Gold made things easier for Stolt when they added single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

Brandon Reinarts reached base with two outs in the fourth inning when he struck out and the ball went past catcher Chad Davidson. Two batters later, Joey Schugel drove him in with a single into left field.

Spelbrink and Marti added to the lead in the fifth inning the same way they scored in the second inning. Spelbrink doubled for the second time in the game and two batters later, Marti singled him in.

Spelbrink scored for the third time in the final inning. He walked and scored when pinch hitter Michael Grossmann doubled him in.