Owen Castleman homer sparks Jr. Gold rally
New Ulm advances in state tourney
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ALEXANDRIA -- The New Ulm Junior Legion Gold fought back to overcome an early 3-0 deficit, then broke a 6-6 tie in the seventh to win 7-6 over White Bear Lake in the opening round of the DI Junior Legion State Baseball Tournament on Thursday.
New Ulm now faces Alexandria Black Friday at 2 p.m. in Alexandria.
New Ulm's Owen Castleman fell a double short of hitting for the cycle during the game, starting the rally with a two-run out-of-the-park home run and finishing 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored on the day. Also at the plate for New Ulm, Trevon Thordson was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Paxton Johnson was 1 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Evan Starke added a hit and two RBIs.
Ryler Collins made the start the mound for New Ulm, striking out two and allowing six runs, four earned, on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, but Castleman got the win on the day, pitching the final inning and striking out one with no hits or walks allowed.
WBL scored one run on two hits and a walk in the first inning, then scored twice on three hits and a walk in the second inning to take its 3-0 lead.
"We were tight at the beginning," New Ulm head coach Jeff Ferrell said. "Ryler didn't have the stuff at least in the first couple of innings that he usually has. Once we got the big hit from Owen, we really settled down as a team. I thought we played very good defensively."
Johnson drew a walk to start the top of the third inning for the Junior Gold, setting up Castleman for his two-run homer to center field to cut the lead down to 3-2.
"After that home run was hit, we just kind of got going," Castleman said. "It took a weight off of our shoulders to get us going. We took the momentum from that hit on down, and hopefully we can keep it going through tomorrow."
Johnson followed that up in the fourth with an RBI double to score Parker Ranweiler, then a single by Starke brought home Johnson as New Ulm took a 4-3 lead.
"The kids just settled down," Ferrell said. "We had some really good at-bats … We just settled down is the point. The kid that started [for WBL, Dom Fiztgerald] was pretty good. He got a pitch up to Owen, which he hit really well, put a good swing on it, and I knew it was gone the moment he hit it. That just got us going."
New Ulm added another run in the fifth as Thordson's single scored Noah Gode, then a ball put into play by Gode got another run home in the sixth after Castleman tripled for a 6-3 advantage.
WBL wasn't finished though, taking three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game a 6. However, a WBL runner was caught stealing home, with Conlin McAlpine ending the inning with a great play to keep WBL from taking the lead.
Thordson doubled to lead off the top of the seventh for the Junior Gold, then Ranweiler was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners, and Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. That decision didn't pay off for WBL, as Starke was hit by a pitch to bring a runner home and make it a 7-6 ball game.
"It's always huge to win when you play good teams," Castleman said. "We're playing our best ball now, and it's just a momentum thing. If we can keep going, you never know what can happen."
Owen Castleman entered to pitch the bottom of the seventh, and a groundout, a strikeout and another groundout later, New Ulm sealed the victory.
Ferrell said the win was significant, as it saved the team an extra game played later in the day in the elimination bracket.
"It helps us pitching-wise," he said. "We don't have to play any extra games. It gives you confidence going into tomorrow."
Castleman said the team is ready for whatever tomorrow's matchup brings.
"Just play free and play the game we've been playing our whole lives like we know how to do," he said.