Marshall initially took a 3-1 lead, but New Ulm scored three runs in the bottom of the third and an extra run in the fifth to advance to Saturday’s finals.

“You want to play your best baseball at the end of the year, and I would say without a doubt we are doing that,” New Ulm head coach Mike Anderson said. “We controlled our emotions, we got down, we stayed the course. We stayed playing our brand of baseball, running the bases hard, bunting the ball, good situational baseball.”

Marshall will play in an elimination bracket finals game at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The winner of that game will take on New Ulm at 2:30 p.m., with a trip to the state tournament on the line for New Ulm. If New Ulm loses that 2:30 p.m. game Saturday, a second finals game will take place at noon on Sunday at Mankato East High School.

Anderson said the team took the same approach as they normally would, despite the familiarity.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Tanner Backer delivers a pitch during the Sub-State G Junior Legion Tournament Semifinals against Marshall Friday at Mankato East High School.

“They’re a very sound team,” he said. “They don’t make mistakes, they play baseball the right way. In bunting situations they’re going to get an out. They situationally hit well, they pitch it well. Their pitcher [Noah] Pieper, he’s got a good, high-level arm, and they’re just well-coached and disciplined.”

Marshall head coach Chace Pollock agreed, saying both teams played a strong game.

“I don’t think the previous matchups affected too much of what we did today,” Pollock said. “It’s just two good teams playing. It came down to the end, and you’d expect nothing less.”

Tanner Backer earned the win for New Ulm, striking out six while allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“Tanner really put up a big performance,” Anderson said. “Started out a little shaky, couldn’t throw strikes, and then he just beared down. That’s the first time I’ve seen him pitch where I’d say he’s got his ‘C’ stuff, his average stuff, and still settle in and maintain and go deep into a game. I could not be more proud of him.”

Mitchell Hopp got the save, allowing one hit in 2/3 of an inning. At the plate for New Ulm, Backer was 2 for 2 with two RBIs, while Alex Portner was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Evan Blekestad had a hit and two RBIs, and Colin Forstner had a hit and a run scored.

Pieper took the loss for Marshall, striking out four while allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. At the plate, Pieper was 2 for 4, while Jackson Sirvoy was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Ethan Weedman and Ethan Boeck each had a hit and an RBI.

Marshall got on the board first with a single from Pieper bringing home Cannon Cragmile. New Ulm responded in the bottom of the inning with singles from Portner and Backer setting up Bleckestad for a groundout RBI for a 1-1 game.

Marshall kept up the attack in the second, with Sirvoy and Noah Frazee both singling. Weedman hit a single to center field to bring home Sirvoy and regain the lead. This time New Ulm was unable to answer as Marshall continued to get runners on base in the third. A walk from Trae Bailey and a steal allowed Boeck’s double to bring home Marshall’s third run of the game.

New Ulm got things going again in the bottom of the third, loading the bases on singles from Forstner and Portner and a walk from Hunter Larson. A long single from Backer brought home both Portner and Forstner, then a sacrifice bunt from Levi Hopp scored Larson as New Ulm took its first lead of the game.

Marshall continued to put runners on base, but were unable to come away with more scores. Pieper singled and Bailey drew a walk to lead off the fifth inning, but Backer took a sacrifice bunt to third for the force out, then earned a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning. Meanwhile, a single and a walk from Larson and Backer was capitalized on by Blekestad, who hit a line drive to left field to bring home Larson for a 5-3 lead.

Marshall threatened again in the top of the seventh, loading up the bases with walks from Tyler Kraft and Bailey and a single from Sirvoy. However, Mitchell Hopp coaxed a grounder to third for the game-ending out.

Marshall now prepares for Saturday, needing two wins to force a second finals game on Sunday for a trip to state.

“It’s tough coming off a loss versus coming off a win, but we’ve still got an opportunity to play tomorrow,” Pollock said. “We can do this. You’ve got to win three games in a row, and we’re capable of doing that.”

Anderson said the team will take the same approach no matter which team comes out of the elimination bracket.

“We do the same thing no matter who we play, no matter when we play, and no matter where we play them,” he said. “We keep the game simple, play with passion, we’ve got a fire under our butts. Just play good, New Ulm baseball.”