Pickoff play ends Gold's regional run

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The Rochester A's won their first trip to an American Legion World Series with a 6-4 win over New Ulm Legion Gold after an official rain delay of 14 hours and 35 minutes.

The game, which was suspended by rain at midnight Monday night, resumed at noon on Tuesday with Gold hitting with runners on first and second with two outs.

But the A's -- and Rochester pitcher Mike Badger -- used a pick-off play to retire Dusty Wilfahrt at second and send Rochester to Bartlesville, Okla. for the American Legion World Series.

It was a planned play, according to pitcher Mike Badger, who got the save for Rochester (48-4).

"We wanted to throw a strike [to Eric Austvold, who was hitting] and then try that pick-off move to second," Badger said. "That was planned before the game started."

Ted Garry got the win for Rochester, who went 7 1/3 innings. He allowed nine hits and struck out four.

Tyson Anderson pitched a strong game for New Ulm Gold (33-9) and took the loss. He allowed 10 hits in nine innings and fanned four.

Garry, Aaron Craig and Nathan Bower, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the tournament, each had two hits. Craig drove in three runs.

Eric Austvold, Kyle Marti, Pete Meier and Dusty Wilfahrt each had two hits. Marti drove in two runs.

Jamie Hoffmann and Marti both tripled for New Ulm.

"We had our chances -- we had the situations," New Ulm Gold coach Dave Kunz said. "If you look at any one, I guess that it would be that we had five errors. If we would not have had those five errors, we would not have been in this situation.

"The game would have been done in the top of the ninth inning had we played more characteristically on defense."

Both Garry and Anderson hooked up in a scoreless duel for three innings before Gold broke out to a 1-0 lead.

Eric Austvold collected his second single of the game to start the inning and went to second on a passed ball. Kyle Marti's infield single moved Austvold to third before Austvold scored on a fielder's choice and ensuing error on the play.

Rochester put runners on second and third courtesy of two errors by New Ulm in the fifth.

But Anderson was able to work out of the jam by retiring Garry on a groundout.

However, in the sixth inning, New Ulm would not be so fortunate.

After Gold's defense turned a 6-4-3 double play, Grant singled to left field.

Chris Collins then drove a slow roller to Gold shortstop Hoffmnan, who fielded the ball. He thought about trying to retire Grant at second, but saw that he could not. His throw to first was not in time, getting past first baseman Marti, leaving Rochester runners on first and third with two outs.

Bower followed with a 2-2 single to left off Anderson to put the A's up 2-1.

The second error of the inning by New Ulm on a Ronnie Olson ground ball loaded the bases for Craig, who rapped a two-run single to right to give Rochester a 3-1 lead.

"Tyson pitched his heart out in the game," Kunz said. "He was a victim of some errors."

Hoffmann's one-out triple to deep center field in the sixth and Marti's ground out cut the Rochester lead to 3-2.

But the A's added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings for a 5-2 lead.

In the seventh, Jay Kasner belted a solo home run with a Craig sacrifice fly plating the other run.

New Ulm's four, five and six hitters combined for a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-4.

Hoffmann walked and scored on Marti's triple, Meier singling home Marti.

Rochester avoided any further damage by turning an inning-ending double play.

Rochester then added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on the fifth Gold error of the game before the rains came in the bottom of the ninth, suspending the game.

"The team really played hard today, as they have all year," Kunz said. "I think that they exceeded even their expectations this year. Granted, we were the host team, and when you are the host team, no one expects you to go this far."

ROCHESTER 000 003 111 -- 6 10 3

NEW ULM GOLD 000 101 020 -- 4 12 5

WP--Garry. LP--Anderson. 2B--Hoffmann (NU), Marti (NU). HR--Kasner (R)