But after a Dirks Haynes groundout to start the inning, the Eagles erupted.

New Ulm sent 18 batters to the plate and used seven walks, three wild pitches, a hit batsman and six hits to score 14 runs before going on to win 22-3 at Mueller Park.

The game was called in the fifth inning because of the 10-run rule.

Mitchell Hopp got the win in the season-opener for New Ulm. He went three innings and allowed two runs while striking out four.

Photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm starting pitcher Mitchell Hopp delivers a pitch during the first inning of a nonconference baseball game against Westonka on Tuesday at Mueller Park.

Colin Forstner threw the last two innings and allowed one run and also fanned four.

Jacob Nye took the loss for Westonka. He went 1 2/3 innings and was charged with seven runs.

Zach Hubbard, Kyle Albrecht and Tanner Backer each had two hits for New Ulm. Backer had three RBIs. Candon Briggs drove in three runs with a triple.

“I thought that our kids did a great job — we had a lot of good at-bats,” New Ulm head coach Jeff Ferrell said. “We did not start off where we wanted to — this was Mitch’s first game — but he came back in the second inning and did a real nice job throwing strikes. And our hitting approaches were very good, especially in that second inning.”

That 14-run output by the Eagles was aided by two Whitehawks errors in addition to the seven free passes and three wild pitches and a Briggs three-run triple.

Photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Tanner Backer collects a hit during a nonconference baseball game against Westonka on Tuesday at Mueller Park.

Ferrell acknowledged that the free bases helped.

“But you still have to be able to keep it going — you cannot expect them to walk you,” he said. “Having walks is a good quality at-bat, I think that I gave two take signs in that inning.”

The 14-run second inning was followed by a two-run third. with both runs coming on an infield error before the Eagle plated six runs in the fourth.

“Mitch and Colin did a great job on the mound for us,” Ferrell said. “And we put on a hitting barrage.”

New Ulm is at Waseca Thursday before hosting St. Peter Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Mueller Park.