Sports
New Ulm slugger hits two homers in rout
Van Roekel hits three-run blast, grand slam in same inning
MANKATO — New Ulm Gold’s Nate Van Roekel has hit two home runs in a game before, but never in an inning.
That was before the sixth inning of Monday’s game against Eagle Lake Legion Post 617.
Van Roekel blasted two home runs and totaled seven RBIs in one inning alone, leading an 11-run outburst in the sixth as Gold won 17-6 in an American Legion baseball game at Wolverton Field.
“That’s quite an inning,” Van Roekel said. “I’ve got to thank my teammates for getting on and letting me get up that second time.”
Each team put together two three-run innings, which tied the game at 6 going into the sixth inning. The first two batters both reached for Gold before a strikeout sent Van Roekel to the plate. After taking a curveball for strike one, he hit the next pitch from Derek Werkmeister to deep left-center field to break the tie.
Following Van Roekel, Garrett Fischer and Kyle Fischer each singled to bring Wade French up to bat.
He, like Van Roekel, also sent a three-run shot down the left-field line. But that still wasn’t the end for Gold as they loaded the bases for Van Roekel, who sent a towering home run over the left-field wall.
“I got a couple pitches that were in my zone,” Van Roekel said. “I always tell myself to hit the ball hard, and those times I hit the ball at the right angles and they went over the fence.”
French also had a two-run double in the third inning. Garrett Fischer was 2 for 5 with two runs scored, and Luke Altmann was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
New Ulm (9-4) pounded out 17 hits, while Eagle Lake had 11 hits.
“Our game plan was to try and keep them off balance with some changeups and curveballs, and (Werkmeister) did a very good job of that for five innings,” Eagle Lake manager Josh Anderson said. “He just got a little tired and kept his pitches up in the zone, and he paid for it as they hit some balls hard.”
Eagle Lake’s Joey Olson led off the bottom of the first inning with his own solo home run, and Dan Larsen went 2 for 4 with a run, one RBI and two stolen bases.
New Ulm’s Andy Irlbeck pitched the first four innings but took a no-decision. He was relieved by Mark Giesen, who earned the win.
Derek Werkmeister pitched 52⁄3 innings and took the loss for Post 617.
“He mixed it up good,” Van Roekel said of Werkmeister. “But when he got down in the count he had to throw that fastball for a strike, and we took advantage of that.”
Post 617 (5-4) plays at 8 p.m. Thursday against Mankato Legion Post 11 at Franklin Rogers Park.
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