Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Willmar’s Conlan Carlson slides into home safely as New Ulm Legion Gold catcher Graham Glaser looks to field the throw-in from the outfield in Tuesday night’s legion baseball game at Johnson Park.

NEW ULM — In the third inning, Willmar scored three runs off of two wild pitches.

In the end, that was the difference in the game.

Willmar pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of those wild pitches and an costly error to down New Ulm Gold 11-10 Tuesday night at Johnson Park.

Mason Thole got the win for Willmar in relief.

Blaine Olson took the loss for Legion Gold, now 5-11. He went 3 1/3 innings and gave up nine runs on 12 hits.

Cullen Gregory and Braden Fagerlie each had two hits for Willmar.

Ben Alfred had four hits for New Ulm with three doubles and four RBIs.

“After the weekend, our pitching was a little thin,” Gold coach Curt Forbrook said. “So that is why I had to throw a few guys tonight. We did hit the ball well (11 hits) — I am proud of our team in the way we came back. The group I have is really gritty. We are getting better.”

New Ulm had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Down by two runs, they scored a run on a wild pitch. Ethan Thompson was intentionally walked before Willmar recorded the final out to end the game.

New Ulm fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first before scoring two runs on doubles from Alfred and Logan Mielke.

New Ulm pushed four runs across in the second on a Lucas Suess single, an error, Alfred’s second double of the game, another error and a wild pitch.

Each team took advantage of wild pitches in the third, with Willmar scoring three on four singles and two wild pitches and New Ulm using one wild pitch for its run.

Willmar scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings before New Ulm added two in the bottom of the fifth on a Suess double, a Jake Finstad base hit and Alfred’s third double of the game that scored two.

“We did not give up,” Forbrook said. “And we had a chance [in the seventh]. One more hit. And Ben [Alfred] has been a quiet, very good addition to the team this year. He has played very well for us.”