Weekend area roundup: Jr. Gold sweeps American, earns walk-off

JUNIOR LEGION BASEBALL

New Ulm 5, Mankato American 2 (Game 1)

New Ulm 8, Mankato American 7 (Game 2, 8 innings)

NEW ULM — New Ulm Junior Legion Gold swept Mankato American Junior Legion in a junior legion baseball doubleheader Sunday at Mueller Park, winning Game 1 by a score of 5-2 and ending the second game with an 8-7 walk-off win in eight innings.

In Game 1, Tanner Backer got the complete-game win in seven innings, allowing two hits and six walks for two runs while striking out 13. Levi Hopp led Jr. Gold at the plate by going 2 for 4 with a double, while Mitchell Hopp added a double and an RBI.

Backer was the hero for Jr. Gold in a Game 2 that saw New Ulm trail 7-2 going into the bottom of the sixth. Backer’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth scored Lane Ruch to complete the comeback and finish with the sweep. Backer was 2 for 4 at the plate in the game, while Candon Briggs was 2 for 4 and Ruch was 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs scored. Levi Hopp got the win in five innings of relief, allowing two hits and no walks for no runs while striking out two.

Sleepy Eye 13, Madelia 2 (Game 1)

Sleepy Eye 10, Madelia 3 (Game 2, 5 innings)

SEARLES — Sleepy Eye Junior Legion downed Madelia in a junior legion baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Searles Ballpark, winning the opener 13-2 and finishing the day with a 10-3 win in a five-inning game.

In Game 1, Carson Uecker was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead Sleepy Eye, while Merrick Mathiowetz was 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored and Landry Folkens was 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Mathiowetz also got the win in six innings, allowing six hits for one earned run while striking out seven.

Miah Garza took the loss for Madelia in Game 1, allowing four hits and five walks for 10 runs, four earned, in three innings while striking out two. He also led his team at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

In Game 2, Sleepy Eye saw Jacob Fulmer lead the way by going 3 for 3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while Chase Zufall was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored and Folkens was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Brayden Heiderscheidt got the win in four innings, allowing five hits and no walks for two earned runs while striking out two.

Jonathan Makela took the Game 2 loss in 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and five walks for seven earned runs while striking out one. Noel Davila led Madelia at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double, while Makela added a double.

VFW BASEBALL

Sleepy Eye 11, Blue Earth 1 (Game 1, 6 innings)

Sleepy Eye 23, Blue Earth 6 (Game 2, 4 innings)

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye VFW ran past Blue Earth for a VFW baseball doubleheader sweep on Saturday, winning the first game 11-1 in six innings and the second game 23-6 in four innings.

In Game 1, Sleepy Eye was led by Derek Wales, who was 3 for 5 with two runs scored, while Jared Portner was 2 for 3 with an RBI and Jaxon Saenz was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Adam Braulick pitched three innings for Sleepy Eye and allowed one run while striking out three, while Brecken Hulke got three innings of work also and struck out one.

In Game 2, Sleepy Eye amassed 22 walks in the blowout win. Shea Evers had a double, three walks and an RBI for Sleepy Eye in the win, while Kyle Nelson, Heath Eckstein and Caleb Oscarson also each drew three walks. Eckstein pitched two innings, allowing two runs and striking out four, while Evers pitched two innings and allowed for runs while fanning two.

Sleepy Eye (3-0) plays New Ulm VFW Silver at Mueller Park on Tuesday.