Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Gold’s Elliot Schabert runs to third before scoring in the sixth inning of a first-round legion baseball playoff game against New Prague on Wednesday at Johnson Park.

NEW ULM — Down 2-0 after five innings and held to one hit by New Prague left-hander Brayden Pazik, the New Ulm Gold rallied for six runs in the top of the sixth and went on to top New Prague 6-2 Wednesday night in the DI Sub-State 2 American Legion Baseball Tournament at Johnson Park.

Dirk Haynes got the win for New Ulm going the distance. He allowed two runs — one of which was unearned — and allowed four hits while striking out four.

Karder Schmoll took the loss in relief for New Prague allowing five runs in the sixth inning.

New Ulm Gold now plays No. 1 seed Mankato American Thursday at 1 p.m at Johnson Park.

“This was a big win for us,” Gold head coach Curt Forbrook said. “This team never quit and we found a way to win.”

Gold trailed New Prague and southpaw Pazik 2-0 going into the top of the sixth inning and it appeared that Pazik was in total control of Gold batters, having struck out four in a row going into the top of the sixth.

But Pazik started off the inning by walking Parker Neubauer — his first walk issued in the game — before Neubauer was sacrificed to second by a Caleb Forstner bunt. Pazik then walked Zach Hubbard and appeared to injure his front plant foot and left the game.

That was when momentum shifted.

Kader Schmoll relieved Pazik and allowed a single to Colin Anderson that loaded the bases.

Jake Finstad was hit by a pitch to force in Neubauer to cut the lead to 2-1.

Elliot Schabert coaxed a walk to bring in Hubbard to tie the game at 2-2.

Anderson scored the go-ahead run on an infield error on a Kyle Albrecht grounder for a 3-2 Gold lead.

A Logan Mielke single plated Finstad, with Schabert scoring on a New Prague outfield error on the play.

Haynes then brought in the sixth run of the inning with a single to center.

“This team finds ways to win,” Forbrook said. “And like I told the team after the game — this is why we play seven innings.”

Forbrook also praised the performance of Haynes on the mound.

“He kept us in the game and gave us that chance to win at the end — he pitched a great game.”

Forbrook said he will send Jake Finstad to the mound Thursday.

A win over American moves Gold on to a winners bracket game at 7 p.m. at Johnson Park, while a loss would drop them to a 4 p.m. elimination game at Johnson Park.