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Sleepy Eye VFW wins again

Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Sleepy Eye's Landon Strong slides under the tag of Hutchinson's Dan Vandesteeg during the Junior Upper Midwest Classic Friday at Mueller Park in New Ulm. For more photos of this event go to cu.nujournal.com

NEW ULM — Sleepy Eye VFW Post 800 put itself in good position with two big wins to begin the Junior Upper Midwest Classic on Friday.

Sleepy Eye beat Chaska 4-2 before completing a comeback in a 7-5 win against Hutchinson on Friday, heading into Saturday in the driver’s seat in its pool.

Henry Scheitel had a stout pitching performance in the first game, allowing just two runs, one earned, on two hits in a complete-game win against Chaska. He was also 1 for 2 with two RBIs in that game.

“Henry put the team on his back for that game, giving up two hits in seven innings,” Sleepy Eye coach Brandon Streich said. “He really was a bulldog out on the mound out there and we really needed that to launch us in starting the tournament.”

In the second game, Sleepy Eye trailed 4-3 heading into the top of the seventh with Hutchinson needing just three outs for the win. However, Sleepy Eye teed off on Lane Glaser in notching four runs on four hits to tag him with the eventual loss.

In that inning, Nathan Walter scored on a 5-2 attempted throwout at home before Ethan Fischer had an RBI single and Scheitel batted in two with a single of his own.

“I brought them in the huddle in the top of the seventh and I said, ‘Every team has a signature win, whether it’s a tournament or it turns their season around,’ and we took advantage of the opportunity at hand,” Streich said. “Great moments come from great opportunities and we took advantage.”

Jacob Berg got the no-decision for Sleepy Eye, while Dallas Bauer came in and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to make him the pitcher of record to earn him the win. Luke Mielke got the save, having given up one earned run on three hits.

The Sleepy Eye pitching staff managed to hold Hutchinson to five runs on 13 scattered hits, stranding eight runners on base as well.

“Berg didn’t have his best stuff, but he pitched around that,” Streich said. “He managed really well and gave us five strong innings. Dallas came in and got them really off balance and then Luke came in and shut the door and did what we needed him to do. That was huge.”

Sleepy Eye concludes pool play Saturday with two contests — 9:30 a.m. against Osseo in Essig and 1:30 p.m. against New Ulm Gold at Johnson Park.

Game 1

Sleepy Eye 000 040 0 — 4 3 1

Chaska 000 020 0 — 2 2 2

The Journal did not keep book for this game.

Game 2

Sleepy Eye 020 001 4 — 7 9 2

Hutchinson 112 000 1 — 5 13 3

J Berg, Bauer (6), Mielke (7) and Walter; Jordahl, Jennings (5), Glaser (7) and Kuttner.

W – Bauer (S) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 12 pitches

L – Glaser (H) 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 31 pitches

Sv – Mielke (S) 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 22 pitches

ND – Jordahl (H) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 61 pitches

ND – J Berg (S) 5 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 76 pitches

Leading hitters – Sleepy Eye: Marotz 1-3 1 R 1 K 3B, Scheitel 1-4 2 RBI 1 R 1 K, Walter 2-3 1 RBI 1 R, Mathiowetz 2-3 1 R; Hutchinson: Schuler 3-4 3 R, Vandesteeg 2-3, Kuttner 3-4 2 RBI, Beffert 1-4 1 R 2B.

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