File photo by Steve Muscatello Sleepy Eye’s Sam Tessmer makes a throw during a recent Indians game.

SLEEPY EYE — Jacob Berg made the most out of his first start in amateur baseball in Sleepy Eye’s Region 2C round-robin playoff game against Springfield Sunday afternoon.

Berg pitched eight innings and allowed five runs on nine hits as the Indians evened their Region 2C record at 1-1 with a 7-5 win over Springfield.

Berg struck out four and did not allow a hit to Springfield after the fifth inning.

Justin Haugo took the loss for the Tigers who dropped to 1-1 in Region 2C play. He allowed five runs on six hits.

Andrew Woitas led Sleepy Eye with two hits, Woitas and Carter Brinkman each had two RBIs.

Both teams play Tuesday in 7:30 p.m. games with the Indians going to Hanska and Springfield hosting Stark. Also that night the New Ulm Brewers host Lamberton.

“With us being 0-1 after the loss (Saturday) and Springfield coming in at 1-0, I thought that Jacob (Berg) did a nice job,” Sleepy Eye manager Bruce Woitas said. “He was a good pitcher in high school and legion baseball. He gave us a solid outing, and we were able to hang on for the win.”

The Indians led 2-0 after three innings on single runs in the second and third. A Brinkman double in the second plated the first run and a Joey Walter sacrifice fly in the third gave Sleepy Eye a two-run lead.

The Tigers cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on a Mason Rummel RBI double, before adding two more runs in the fifth on doubles from Decker Scheffler and Brandon Flock and an Isaac Fink single.

Berg settled down and kept the Tigers’ bats quiet for the next three innings.

Sleepy Eye would erase the 3-2 Springfield lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs.

Jake Mielke singled and Alex Sellner followed with a double. Andrew Woitas’s two-run single lifted the Indians to a 4-3 lead. Woitas raced home from second on a Joey Walter swinging bunt single.

A fielder’s choice in the seventh scored a run for Sleepy Eye, and a Brinkman sacrifice fly in the eighth added another run.

Walks to the Tigers’ Brandon Wilhelmi and Jake Poehler in the ninth ended Berg’s day. Alex Sellner allowed singles to Scheffler and Ryan Sturm before ending the game with a strikeout.

Bruce Woitas said that it was a big win over a good Springfield team. “No lead is safe in region play. They have a good hitting lineup,” said. “But we were able to get that 7-5 win.”