Staff photo by Jeremy Behnke New Ulm Legion Gold’s Carter Lang drills a pitch during Tuesday’s doubleheader against Mankato American at Mueller Park.

NEW ULM — New Ulm Legion Gold scored seven runs in the first three innings to take a 7-2 lead over Mankato American and went on to a 8-5 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Mueller Park.

Mankato came back to earn a split in the nightcap with an 8-2 win.

In the first game, Tony Geiger earned the win. He went four innings, allowed five runs.

Ben Snaaza took the loss for American.

Jaden Drill had three hits. Jackson Bode, Cole Ranweiler and Josh Giefer each had two hits for New Ulm.

Ranweiler and Carter Lang each drove in two runs.

Gold, who plays at Minnewaska on Friday, scored two runs in the first on a wild pitch and an error.

Gold added another run in the second on a Hunter Sehr RBI single before pushing four runs across in the third inning.

Drill led off with a double and scored on a Giefer single. A walk and a Bode base hit added another run. A two-run single from Ranweiler upped the New Ulm lead to 7-2.

Mankato cut the lead to 7-5 in the fourth.

Gold added an insurance run in the sixth on a fielder’s choice.

In the second game, Mankato scored five runs in the sixth inning to turn a 3-2 lead into a comfortable 8-2 win.

Bode took the loss for Gold, now 4-3 on the year.

Matt Wirk got the win for American, holding Gold to four hits.

Bode had a double for New Ulm.

Gold had five errors in the game.