The Gold fell 13-3 in Game 1, but a strong pitching performance by right-hander Josh Forstner carried the Gold to a 9-1 victory in Game 2 at Mueller Park.

The first game ended in six innings due to the 10-run lead rule.

GAME 1

Hunter Larson was 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the Gold at the plate, while Tanner Backer was 1 for 1 with a triple and two walks, Kyle Albrecht was 1 for 2 with a walk and Levi Hopp drew two walks.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Legion Gold catcher Kyle Albrecht looks to make a throw to second during Game 1 of a legion baseball doubleheader against the Mankato American on Tuesday at Mueller Park.

Candon Briggs took the loss for the Gold in the opener, finishing four innings by allowing 10 hits and one walk for seven runs, six earned, while striking out three. He was relieved by Eli Anderson in the fifth inning.

The American, who outhit the Gold 15-4, were led at the plate by Braxton Wojcik, who was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Jack Hansen was 2 for 2 also for the American, while Carson Hart was 2 for 3 with a triple, two walks and an RBI, Mason Diede was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Kohen Clobes was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs and Caden Hansen was 2 for 5 with a double and three RBIs.

Wojcik also got the win on the mound, going three innings and allowing two hits and five walks for one unearned run while striking out one.

Mankato took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Caden Hansen.

The Gold had a good chance to get that run back in the bottom of the inning after Hopp and Albrecht walked and Larson dropped a pop-fly single into shallow left to load the bases. A fielder’s choice out at home and a strikeout looking, however, ended the inning.

The American went up 4-0 in the second on a sac fly from Wojcik and a two-run double by Caden Hansen. The Gold broke into the scoring column in the third on an error that scored Hopp, but Mankato opened the fourth with a leadoff triple by Hart, who was promptly singled in by Diede, to get the run back.

The American got a five-run fifth to lead 10-1. Larson had a two-out singled to right in the bottom of the fifth to score Zach Hubbard, who walked to lead off, to have New Ulm down 10-2.

With Mankato up 13-2 and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Backer tripled to right and a groundout by Cohen Domeier scored him before another groundout ended the game early due to the 10-run lead rule.

GAME 2

New Ulm sent Forstner to the mound for Game 2, and the righty didn’t disappoint. He pitched six innings in the win, allowing just two hits in the sixth and no walks for one unearned run while striking out seven.

Dirk Haynes pitched the seventh for the Gold. He allowed one hit and struck out one.

Forstner also got it done with his bat, going 2 for 4 with a triple and an RBI, while Larson was 1 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs.

Owen Stencel took the loss for the American in Game 2, going three innings and allowing three hits and a walk for three runs, one earned, while striking out two.

With Gold hitting first in Game 2, it was their turn to jump out to an early lead. A leadoff walk to Levi Hopp was followed with a sac bunt by Briggs and an error allowed Albrecht to reach safely and Hopp to take third. Larson grounded out to score Hopp and move Albrecht to second. Albrecht took third on a passed ball before Haynes hit a ground-ball single up the middle to make it 2-0.

Forstner tripled to lead off the second and Domeier singled him in for a 3-0 New Ulm lead.

After a scoreless third, New Ulm did big damage in the fourth with two outs. Hopp started the two-out successes for New Ulm with a walk before Briggs reached on an error and a walk to Albrecht loaded the bases for Larson, who walked to make it 4-0. After Briggs scored on a passed ball, a walk to Haynes loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored Albrecht for a 6-0 New Ulm lead.

New Ulm pushed three more runs across in the sixth. After a leadoff single by Briggs and a strikeout, Larson tripled to center to make it a 7-0 game before an error allowed Haynes to reach second and Larson to score. Another strikeout gave Forstner a two-out chance to add to the lead, which he did with an RBI single to right for a 9-0 Gold lead.

After a one-out error, Mankato got a single from Hart and an RBI single from Diede to make it 9-1.

UP NEXT

The Gold, now 9-7, play in the Gopher Classic Tournament in Edina this weekend, beginning with a game against Farmington 2 at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.