New Ulm Dominates Waterville & Blue Earth Wins

New Ulm Brewers starting pitcher Mitch Bockenstedt allowed just one infield hit in a 5-0 win over the Waterville Indians today.

The game was played in Delano where right-handed Bockenstedt went 8 innings throwing 100 pitches, 63 strikes.  He struck out 4 batters and walked 4 batters.

Lefty Ethan Stade walked the first batter to open the ninth inning before getting a ground out and two fly outs to end the game.

Luke Sellner kept Waterville in the game until the 7th inning when he left after throwing 114 pitches, 79 strikes.  The right-handed Indians ace saw New Ulm start the game with some small ball.

Colton Schaefer opened with a 0-1 count single to right followed by a Justin Hoffman bunt resulting in a hit.  Hunter Ranweller then hit a 1-2 count single which loaded the bases.

Zach Hoffman hit a grounder to third base resulting in a force out at home.  Cole Ranweiler hit a 1-1 count pitch to right field scoring Justin Hoffman before Sellner struck out Ayden Jensen looking.

Sellner and Waterville had to be happy with just the one run scoring.  Little did they know that would be all New Ulm actually needed.

Ben Boran opened the second inning with Waterville's only hit of the game.  An infield single on a 1-2 count.  Nolan Wetzel followed with a bunt to sacrifice the tying run to second base but two fly outs later Boran was still standing at second base.

The Indians did get some base runners.  The third inning started with a walk by Nolan Grose.  He would advance to second on a Isaac Turner comeback to the pitcher,  After Bladyn Bartelt grounded out to first Ty Kaus was walked on four pitches.  Luke Sellner slapped the ball back to the pitcher to end the inning.

The Brewers would get their second run in the 6th inning.  With one out Wade French hammered a double off the fence.  Trevor Nissen then hit a RBI double to right field.  Nissen had doubled in the 4th inning to left and circled the bases as the ball was lost in the ivy.  The umpire went out and couldn't find it so he sent Nissen to second with a ground rule double.  Sellner threw a wild pitch advancing him to third base but a line out to right ended that threat.

After a one out walk by Nolan Wetzel in the 4th inning for the Indians, Bockenstedt locked in and retired the next 13 batters he faced.  Wetzel stole second base but a pop up and fly out ended the Indians 4th inning.

Sellner gave up a one out walk on a full count in the 7th inning to Hunter Ranweiler who stole second base.  Cleanup hitter Zach Hoffman stroked a 2-1 count single to left for a RBI and was thrown out trying to gain second base.

Cole Ranweiler hit a 3-1 count single ending Sellner's day.

Lefty Dalton Grose entered the game and walked the first batter before getting a strike out to end the inning.

The Brewers would add two insurance runs in the 8th inning when Grose got two quick outs on 5 pitches before back-to-back walks to the top of the order.

Hunter Ranweiler clubbed a 2-2 count 2-RBI double to right center.  He would advance to third base on a passed ball.

Following a walk to the cleanup batter, Grose was replaced by another lefty, Tom Gannon got the final out on a grounder.

Luke Sellner walked to open the 9th inning but Ethan Stade then got a ground out, pop out and fly out to end the dominate performance by New Ulm.

The Brewers finished the game with 12 hits and no errors.  Waterville also was not charged with an error in the game.

The Indians end their season with a 19-11 record.  New Ulm does not have season results on their web page.

The Brewers will play Faribault Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. at a site to be determined.

Region 6 runnerup Blue Earth scored a 7-2 win over the Stark Longhorns just before the Waterville game.

The Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when lead batter Cody Sukalski hammered a 1-2 count pitch for a double.  An error by the shortstop allowed him to go to third base.

Hunter Bleess gained first on a third strike passed ball before Brandyn Olsen clubbed a 3-1 count double to right field scoring Sukalski.

Stark right-handed starting pitcher Derek Dahlke then finished the inning by getting a strike out and two ground outs.

The Longhorns took the lead after scoring two runs in the third inning.

Following two outs Mason Cox hit a 1-1 count double down the third baseline.  Cleanup hitter Zach Haala hit a 2-2 count RBI single to left followed by a Nick Labat 1-2 count double to right center.

Blue Earth would tie the game in the bottom of the 4th inning.  Lee Hodges started the inning with a full count single.

Following a pop out Kaylan Legred executed a sacrifice bunt to advance Hodges to second base with two outs.

Tanner Nawrocki jumped on the first pitch and hit a screaming double off the left field fence scoring Hodges.

In the top of the 4th inning Dahlke struck out the first batter before back-to-back walks to the #8 and #9 hitters in the batting order.  He was replaced by draftee Louis Magers from St. Clair.

Magers pitches for Minnesota State Mankato and slammed the door on Stark retiring the next 10 guys he faced.  He did not allow a hit with 8 strikeouts, 3 walks over 5 and 2/3 innings.  He threw 71 pitches, 45 strikes.

The Pirates opened the bottom of the 6th with a 0-2 count single by Kane Malo and a 0-1 count double for Lee Hodges.  Malo scored on a wild pitch. That was the end of Stark starter, lefty Adam Sellner's day.

Right-handed Zach Haala came in from third base to pitch.

Blue Earth designated hitter Logan O'hara smacked a 2-1 count home run to right center to score two runs.

The Pirates scorerd another run in the seventh after a ground out and strike out started the inning Olsen hit a 1-1 count pitch to left center.  Malo reached on a Longhorns error.

Hodges hit the ball to short resulting in another error (Stark's 4th of the game) which scored Olsen.

The Pirates got their final run in the 8th inning.  Following a ground out to start their at bats Nawrocki hit a 1-1 count single to right.  #9 batter Parker Meyers hit into a fielder's choice for the second out.

Sukalski stroked a 1-0 count pitch to right center for a double scoring Meyers from first base,

The Pirates now 15-10 advance to next Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. against Bird Island at a site to be determined.

Stark ended their season with a 16-6 record.

In other Sunday games the Union Hill Bulldogs Region 3 runnerup to Faribault ended their season 12-8 to the Maple Lake Lakers in a extra innings slugfest at Dassel.

The Lakers made a splash with 7 runs in the first 4 innings and led 8-0 going into the bottom of the 6th.  Conrad Masberg left after three innings pitched for the Bulldogs.  He allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 1 walk, no strikeouts.

Charlie Otteson relieved him giving up 4 runs in 4 innings of work with 2 walks, a hit batter, two strikeouts and 7 hits allowed including a home run.

Union Hill scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning then tied the game with 4 more runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Maple Lake scored 4 runs in the top of the 11th to seal the 12-8 victory.

The Lakers had 16 hits, 1 error.  Bulldogs finished with 15 hits, 4 errors.  11 of the 12 runs were earned.

Eric Berg stroked 2 hits for Union Hill and was hit by a pitch.  He scored a run and collected a RBI while playing second base, pinch hitting and pinch running in the game according to the box score.

Conrad Masberg smacked 3 hits.  Jack Kreutzian had 2 hits including a double with an RBI and run scored.

Jack Giesen hammered 2 hits including a double for an RBI and 2 runs scored.

Draftee Gavin Bergman of New Prague was tagged with the loss while officially throwing a third of an inning.  He allowed 2 hits, 3 runs, walked 2 with no strikeouts.

Jack Becker threw 3 innings allowing 1 run with 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 1 hit allowed for Union Hill.

Draftee Matt Zweber of New Prague finished the 11th for th Bulldogs by going 2/3 of an inning with one walk and one wild pitch.  No hits or strikeouts.

Union Hill pitchers gave up 7 walks, had 2 strikeouts, gave up 2 doubles and a home run.

Hunter Malachek started the game on the hill for Maple Lake and went the first 6 innings.  He gave up 6 hits, 4 runs, with 5 walks, 5 strikeouts, hit a batter and had a wild pitch.

Draftee Jordan Flick of Dassel-Cokato earned the win for the Lakers while throwing the final 4 innings of the game. He struck out 3, walked 3, one intentionally, allowed 3 hits with one wild pitch.

Union Hill has not recorded all wins and losses on their web page.

Maple Lake will play the Courtland Cubs Sunday, August 27, 2023 at a site to be determined beginning 11:00 a.m.

Cannon Falls will compete agains the Nisswa Lighting Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at a site to be determined.

The Lightning ended the Carver Black Sox season with 3 crooked number innings and a 14-2 seven inning victory thanks in large part to two multiple run homers.

Carver had 6 hits, no errors.  Nisswa 8 hits, 1 error.

Nate Dechaine went the first 5 innings on the mound for the Lightning with 4 strikeouts, 3 walks, a wild pitch.

Draftees Noah Cekalla and Carter Petron both of Pierz each tossed an inning of no-hit no-run relief.  They had 0 strikeouts.  Cekalla walked a batter.

The Lightning are 18-3 with all three of their losses coming to the Buckman Billygoats.

Section 5 runnerup to Cannon Falls, Red Wing, had their season end with a 4-0 loss to the Avon Lakers at Dassel.

The Aces had 5 hits, 1 error.  Lakers 8 hits, no errors in the contest.

Aaron Johnson started on the hill for the Aces allowing 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned in 7 and 1/3 innings pitched.  He struck out 4, walked 3.

Ben Kuehn threw 4 and 2/3 inninigs with 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk.

Avon winning pitcher Dominic Austing went the first 8 innings with 9 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, 4 hits allowed including a double.  Austing also had a wild pitch.

Reese Gregory threw the final inning with 1 hit allowed, 2 strikeouts while facing 4 batters.

Avon is 20-4 and goes up against Hibbing Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. with site to be determined.

The Aces finish their season 19-13.