Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm senior Collin Forstner runs to third during a Big South Conference baseball game against Belle Plaine on Tuesday at Johnson Park.

NEW ULM — Candon Briggs scattered five hits and the New Ulm Eagles baseball team turned a key fourth-inning double play as they avenged an earlier loss to Belle Plaine with a 5-2 win Tuesday in a Big South Conference game at Johnson Park.

Briggs struck out two as New Ulm improved to 10-3 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

Alex Muehlenhardt took the loss for the Tigers, now 9-6 overall and 7-6 in the Big South Conference.

Levi Hopp and Dirk Haynes each had two hits for New Ulm. Haynes also drove in two runs.

Luke Schultz had two hits for the Tigers, whose 4-3 win over the Eagles came in Belle Plaine on April 14.

“Candon threw very well and he got ahead in the counts and I thought that we played great defensively [no errors],” New Ulm head coach Jeff Ferrell said. “There were some balls that got hung up in the wind, but Candon threw to contact — he did a nice job.”

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Treyden Hiles singled and eventually came around to score on a Chaz Lovino groundout.

The Eagles, who play at Worthington on Thursday before traveling to Mankato West at noon on Saturday, tied the game in the bottom of the second.

Briggs reached on a one-out walk and courtesy runner Mitchell Hopp stole second.

Hopp reached third on a Hunter Larson groundout and scored on a Haynes single.

The Eagles then plated two runs in the third.

Kyle Albrecht and Zach Hubbard reached on consecutive walks to start the inning and a Levi Hopp bunt single load the bases.

Albrecht scored on a double play before a Castleman base hit scored Hubbard for a 3-1 Eagles lead.

But in the top the fourth, New Ulm came up with what turned out to be the key play of the game

The Tigers loaded the bases with one out but Briggs coaxed Zach Kirchner into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

“That (double play) was huge,” Ferrell said. “Ryan (Rathmann, Eagles shortstop) could have taken that himself, but he had a nice flip to Owen (Castleman, New Ulm second baseman) and Tanner (Backer, Eagles first baseman) had a great pick at first. They had a chance to open the game up, but Candon shut the door with that groundout.”

New Ulm came back in the bottom of the inning with a run when Larson led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and then scored on a Haynes sacrifice fly.

Belle Plaine cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth, but New Ulm got that run back in the sixth on a Haynes single, a stolen base, a groundout and a wild pitch.

“This was a big win for us in the conference and the section,” Ferrell said. “And we have a tough week going to Worthington on Thursday and then we play at Mankato on Saturday. It does not get any easier.”