NEW ULM - So close, but yet so far.
The New Ulm Kaiserhoff held a 6-3 lead going into the top of the eighth inning over Arlington thanks to seven strong innings from starter Travis Kretsch, but the A's scored seven runs off reliever Nate Schoenherr in the top of the eighth inning to erase that deficit and down the Kaiserhoff 10-6 Friday night in River Valley League action at Johnson Park.
Dan Cheis got the win for Arlington, which is now 2-4 in the West Division. He went the final 3 1/3 innings in relief of starter Matt Pichelmann. Pichelmann went 5 2/3 innings and allowed all six runs.
Schoenherr took the loss for New Ulm, which is now 0-5 in the West.
Jonathan Curry had three hits for the Kaiserhoff, with Jace Marti and Jason Shaul each collecting two hits.
Blake Henke had two hits for the A's, who were out-hit in the game 10-8.
The A's took a 1-0 lead in the third on a Kaiserhoff error before New Ulm took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning.
In the Kaiserhoff fourth, Shaul reached on an error and Marti laced a one-out single. A fielder's choice and a walk loaded the bases. A passed ball and a Schoenherr groundout accounted for the runs.
The Kaiserhoff added a single run in the fifth when Shaul scored on an error.
New Ulm then increased its lead to 6-1 in the sixth with three runs.
Ben Wolf walked and Erik Curry singled to begin the sixth for the Kaiserhoff. An infield single by Shaul and a wild pitch added a run. An RBI single off of the bat of Jonathan Curry and a Marti double rounded out the scoring in the inning.
But in the seventh Arlington sliced the lead to 6-3 off of Kretsch on an error that plated two runs.
In the top of the eighth inning, Arlington took the game over. Schoenherr walked the first two batters he faced before a Nate Henke single brought in a run. A walk, a fielder's choice, a walk and a two-run single from Shane Henke moved the A's to a 7-6 lead.
Another error, a single and a hit batsman closed out the scoring for Arlington in the eighth as they sent 12 men to the plate.