Staff photo by Steve Muscatello New Ulm VFW Gold starting pitcher Jaden Domeier tosses a pitch against Osseo during a Junior Upper Midwest Classic game Friday at Johnson Park in New Ulm. For more photos of this event go to cu.nujournal.com

NEW ULM — The ability to score runs after there are two outs in an inning is a sign that a team has a strong, balanced line-up.

Friday night in a Junior Upper Midwest Classic game against Osseo, New Ulm VFW Gold was able to score nine runs after two were out and used that to run away from Osseo 11-3 at Johnson Park.

Owen Rich got the win for Gold. He went the final four innings and allowed two runs. Jadon Domeier started for New Ulm and went the first three innings, yielding just one run and scattering three hits.

Tyler Hoffmann was saddled with the loss for Osseo. He was charged with nine runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

Alex Hillesheim, Branden Zimmerman and Nolan Drill each had two hits for New Ulm. Drill and Colton Schaefer each drove in two runs with Hillesheim, Mason Cox, Drill and Teagan Kamm all scored twice.

“We hit the ball around real good,” said New Ulm coach Mike Munce, who saw his team out-hit Osseo 11-6 in the game. “We forced them to try and make some plays (four errors for Osseo in the game). We piled on some runs and put the ball in play.”

Gold spotted Osseo a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and had two outs and no one on before they used some two-out magic.

Hillesheim reached on the first of four errors by Osseo in the first inning, Aaron Portner followed with a single to right field and when the ball scooted by Osseo right fielder Wyatt Hultgren, Hillesheim scored. Zimmerman’s bloop single scored Portner. Cox walked before Drill roped a two-run double for a 4-1 New Ulm lead.

Kamm’s base hit scored Drill for a 5-1 lead.

“It was good to see that we can do that after we had two outs,” Munce said. “It is good for the kids to see that anything can happen with two outs.”

Gold used the same formula in the second inning to add four more runs. Hillesheim walked and stole second to lead off the inning.

After two were out, Cox singled home Hillesheim and Drill singled to center. Kamm waked to load the bases for Schaefer who laced a two-run single for an 8-1 lead and end Hoffmann’s appearance on the mound.

Jack Phenow was greeted by a Domeier single and a 9-1 lead.

Osseo scored twice in the fourth but Gold added single runs in the fourth and fifth on a Teddy Giefer sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk.

Munce was also pleased with the bottom half of the Gold batting order as hitters five through nine combined for seven of the 11 hits and drove in eight of the 11 runs.

“It was a solid team effort today,” he said.