Sleepy Eye tops Gold
By MICHAEL GASSETT, Journal Sports WriterArticle Photos
By MICHAEL GASSETT
Journal Sports Writer
NEW ULM - Sleepy Eye won a marathon legion baseball game Monday night at Mueller Park.
With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the ninth inning, Sleepy Eye's Cody Nachreiner coaxed a walk out of New Ulm Gold pitcher Taylor Rolloff for what turned out to be the winning run. Sleepy Eye was then able to hold on for the 6-5, nine-inning win.
The game lasted two hours and 42 minutes.
Rolloff got the first two Sleepy Eye batters out to start the inning but back-to-back singles by Derek Skovbroten and Briar Braulick and a walk by Tom Langer loaded the bases. Nachreiner walked in the game winner on five pitches. Rolloff got out of the inning by striking out Josh Bauer.
Gold scored first in the top of the first when Ben Wolf singled and scored on Wade French's groundout.
Sleepy Eye went up 2-1 in the third but New Ulm countered with two runs in the fifth to make it 3-2.
Sleepy Eye looked to put the game away in the sixth with three runs to go up 5-3. New Ulm wasn't done yet.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nate VanRoekel homered to lead off the inning, French singled and scored when Luke Altmann tripled to deep left field. Altmann was later thrown out when he tried to come home on a wild pitch.
New Ulm had another chance in the eighth when Wolf tripled but was stranded at third. In all, New Ulm left 12 runners on base.
Rolloff took the loss for New Ulm as he pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief for Andy Irlbeck.
Briar Braulick earned the win as he pitched all nine innings and allowed five runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts and six walks.
Gold is at Mankato Thursday and Sleepy Eye hosts Eagle Lake Thursday.
