Staff photo by Steve Muscatello New Ulm VFW Gold’s Noah Hauge hits the ball during a game against Sleepy Eye on Tuesday at Mueller Park in New Ulm. For more photos of this event go to cu.nujournal.com

NEW ULM — New Ulm VFW Gold broke open a one-run game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to come away with a 5-1 win against Sleepy Eye at Mueller Park.

Nolan Drill got the win for New Ulm. The right-hander scattered six hits and struck out four in the complete-game win.

Nick Labat took the pitching loss for Sleepy Eye. He went 5 1/3 innings and was charged with all five runs.

Alex Hillesheim had three of New Ulm’s eight hits in the contest. Braden Zimmerman added two hits. Noah Hauge drove in two runs.

“We played a good game,” New Ulm coach Mike Munce said. “We are still trying to figure out our team and what every kid can do. We did hit the ball around — put the ball in play and forced them to make the plays and came out with a win.”

The only mark on Drill’s performance came in the top of the first inning when Sleepy Eye scored its only run of the game. Nathan Walter led off with a double to center field and took third on an Ethan Fischer groundout. Labat followed with an RBI single to center.

Drill only allowed three more hits the rest of the way with two hits coming in the second inning, but did not allow Sleepy Eye to score.

“[Drill] pitched a heck of a game for us,” Munce said. “This was his first VFW game. He mixed his pitches up and I was real happy with his performance.”

New Ulm came back to tie the game in the bottom of the second and then took a 2-1 lead in the home half of the fourth.

In the second, Zimmerman sliced a one-out double. Zach Helget struck out but reached first when the ball got by Walter with Zimmermann alertly taking third.

Zimmerman then scored on a double steal.

In the fourth, Drill walked. Courtesy runner Mason Cox stole second and Zimmerman followed with a base hit. Cox scored one pitch later on another passed ball.

“We are aggressive and want to make things happen,” Munce said.

New Ulm then salted the game away in the sixth inning when Teagan Kamm led off with a double. He went to third on a wild pitch, Zimmerman reached on a walk before Labat plunked Cox to load the bases.

A walk to Noah Hauge scored Kamm and ended Labat’s night. Jaden Domeier’s infield single off reliever Luke Mielke scored Cox for a 4-1 lead before a Josh Seidl sacrifice fly upped the lead to 5-1.

“We got to their pitcher,” Munce said. “He started to wear down, we figured him out and hit him at the end.”

And the win was one that Gold needed.

“We came off a tough tournament last weekend in Rochester,” Munce said. “We are kind of gathering ourselves to figure out where this team is going and who is who.”