The National scored four runs in the first and held the Gold off for a 5-4 win in a legion baseball game at Johnson Park.

After Kyle Albrecht walked to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, the National were able to get the second out on a fielder’s choice out at home. A walk to Levi Hopp had the Gold down 5-4, but reliever Evan Senske got a strikeout to preserve the win for the National.

Josh Forstner got the start on the mound for New Ulm, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing 10 hits and three walks for five earned runs in the loss. He struck out two. Dirk Haynes pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out one.

Eli Anderson led the Gold at the plate, going 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Zach Hubbard was 2 for 4 with a double.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Legion Gold catcher Kyle Albrecht tags out the Mankato National’s Michael Fischer as home plate umpire Dusty Mangen makes the call and Gold pitcher Josh Forstner looks on Wednesday night at Johnson Park.

Dominic Murphy started on the bump for the National and went three innings for the win, allowing six hits and two walks for three earned runs while striking out two.

The National were led at the plate by Senske, who was 3 for 4, while Benjamin O’Neil, Kayden Rux and Gavin Torvick each had two hits. Rux also had two RBIs, while Mason Schreiber had two RBIs and Torvick had one RBI.

The National flexed their muscle against Forstner in the first inning, scoring four runs off him on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman. An RBI double from Torvick and a two-run double by Rux were highlights for the National in the inning, but not the highlight of the inning.

That highlight was reserved for Gold right fielder Hunter Larson, who chased down a fly ball that carried into foul territory for the second out of the inning. Larson didn’t stop making plays there, however, as Michael Fischer tagged up from third and tried to score. Larson’s throw in was on the money and collected by catcher Kyle Albrecht, who made the easy tag well ahead of the plate for a double play that finished the top of the first.

Larson, who also had a double in the seventh, grounded out in the bottom of the first to drive in Zach Hubbard, who led off with a single. Another single from Albrecht moved Jake Finstad, who walked earlier with one out, to third. Anderson then dropped a bunt down the third base line for a single that scored Finstad to make it 4-2.

After Alex Portner led off the bottom of the second with a single, Hubbard doubled to move him to third. A strikeout followed, but Finstad had a sac fly to right to score a sliding Portner and have the Gold down just 4-3.

The National got a run back in the fourth on a sac fly off the bat of Schreiber.

New Ulm had just one error in the game, while the National committed no errors. The National outhit New Ulm 12-9 in the game.

New Ulm fell to 8-5 with the loss and play at Sleepy Eye at 7:30 p.m. Monday night.