Legion Gold falls to Mankato National in District 2 playoffs
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NEW ULM--In the regular season, walks and errors can cost you a game.
In a tournament game -- especially an elimination game -- they can cost you your season.
Mankato National took advantage of six walks and five errors as they went on to eliminate New Ulm Gold 6-3 Friday night in the DI District 2 American Legion baseball tournament at Johnson Park.
Teagan Wendland got the win for National in relief. He went the final four innings, allowing no runs on four hits.
Blaine Olson took the loss for New Ulm Gold. He went five innings and was charged with six runs. He walked five and scattered five hits.
Collin Anderson had two hits for New Ulm. Both Gold and Mankato National each had six hits in the game.
National now meets crosstown rival Mankato American at 10 a.m. Saturday at Johnson Park for the Sub-State 2 title. American need to beat National twice to claim the crown.
For New Ulm Gold head coach Curt Forbrook, he said it was a game where he felt that his team competed pretty well against a heavily-favored National squad.
"I am happy for the guys," he said. "And it was the same old story -- we could have used a clutch hit or two. We competed today."
But it was the walks and the untimely errors that hurt Gold more than the National bats.
Of the six runs scored by Mankato, five came directly off of walks and errors.
In the first, a walk, a fielder's choice and RBI singles from Adam Timm and Colten Bahl made it 2-0.
The Nationals plated two more runs in the second. Three straight walks and a Mason Durose single upped the lead to 4-0.
Gold did cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the third. Anderson singled and Luke Suess reached on a fielder's choice.
A Jake Finstad single scored Anderson to cut the lead to 4-1. A Ben Alfred base hit made it 4-2.
But Mankato regained any lost momentum in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run after two were out.
Olson plunked Jayden Knutson. An errant pick-off throw sent him to third, and a second error on the throw to third allowed him to score.
National again used help from New Ulm to score another run. Evan Maes reached on a fielder's choice. A two-out errant pick-off throw moved him to third where he scored on a Teaven Pribyl single.
"Take those walks and errors away and if we get one more clutch hit at a certain time and it is a different ballgame," Forbrook said.
Gold cut the lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh on a single from Anderson and an RBI single from Luke Suess.
"We were probably the only ones who thought that we could keep this game close." Forbook said. "So I am happy about that."