In the opener, New Ulm downed Luverne 3-1 before capping off the day with a 3-2 win over Prior Lake.

New Ulm, 2-0 in Pool A play, faces Omaha Gross (0-2) Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Johnson Park.

NEW ULM 3, LUVERNE 1

Junior Legion left-hander Tannner Backer struck out nine and New Ulm scored three runs in the second inning on two of their thre hits in the game.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Junior Legion Gold’s Cohen Domeier watches a hit of his drop in during Friday evening’s Junior Upper Midwest Classic baseball game against Prior Lake at Johnson Park in New Ulm.

Hunter Larson had two hits for New Ulm and drove in two runs with a second inning double.

Carter Como took the loss for Luverne allowing all three runs.

Blake Sauer had two hits for Luverne

“Tanner was incredible,” New Ulm coach Mike Anderson said. “He started off a little rough — he was trying to get too cute. He was trying to throw too many breakers but in the last three of four innings, he started establishing his fastball.”

New Ulm plated three runs in the bottom of the second when Zach Hubbard laced a one-out single and Backer drew a walk.

A Ryan Rathmann sacrifice fly moved both runners up. Larson then drilled a two-run double to right field. Larson raced home on an error.

Luverne scored their only run off of Backer in the third in a Landon Lais RBI single.

“He [Backer] really dominated after that,” Anderson said. “He struck out six batters in the last four innings.”

Anderson said that his team faced a good arm in Como.

“We had opportunities in the game (five men left on base). We need to do the little things to win.”

NEW ULM 4,

PRIOR LAKE 3

New Ulm again got a good pitching performance, this time from right-hander Dirk Haynes.

Haynes scattered three hits and struck out three in his six-plus innings of work.

But Haynes made an even bigger impact in the top of the seventh.

Wth the Junior Legion leading 4-3, Haynes allowed a leadoff single in the top of the seventh to Prior Lakes’ Noah Wagner.

Cohen Domeier relieved Haynes, who moved to third base.

Wagner got to third base with one out. Miles Olson followed with a hard ground ball to Haynes at third, whose throw home to catcher Candon Briggs was in time to retire Wagner with the potential game-tying run. Domeier then got the final out for the win.

It was a game where New Ulm had to battle back from an early 3-0 deficit after 1 1/2 innings.

“We got put on our heels right away to start the game,” Anderson said. “Dirk struggled throwing strikes — we did not give them three runs, but they got three runs on us because of two walks, a hit batter and an error. But this group is really resilient.”

New Ulm tied the game in the bottom of the third when Zach Hubbard singled and Tanner Backer walked.

Ryan Rathmann’s infield single loaded the bases.

A Hunter Larson groundout cut the lead to 3-1. Cohen Domeier’s single made it 3-2 before a Parker Neubauer sacrifice fly tied the game.

Junior Legion Gold then scored what turned out to be the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch.

Anderson said he was impressed by Haynes’ performance on the mound.

“He had a pitching performance like this in the Melby Meltdown — that was his coming out as a pitcher,” Anderson said. “I like his arm slot — he has a very big upside. Prior Lake just scored 15 runs in their last game, I was proud of the way he focused up.”

Anderson also praised Haynes’ play at third after just coming off of the mound.

“The first ball that was put in play was at him at third and he got the out at the plate,” Anderson said. “He is a gritty player and that is a player that is blossoming and coming into his own.”