Sports
Related Photos
-
Pat Christman
Discussion
Tools
Post 11 American drops lead, game
New Ulm Gold rallies in fifth to win league game
MANKATO — Mankato Post 11 American pitcher Britt Vaubel took a dream scenario into the fifth inning of Monday’s South Central Legion League game against heavily-favored New Ulm Gold.
Vaubel’s assortment of off-speed pitches had limited Gold to just three hits and one run before an infield error enabled New Ulm to tally four unearned runs and gain a 5-4 win at Wolverton Field.
“I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning it,” Vaubel said. “I feel we keep getting better, we just have to rid of the errors and walks. My arm was a little bit sore from working out but I still felt pretty good.
“I just tried to change speeds to get them off balance and get outs. They’re probably a fastball hitting team, and I am not that fast. I just tried to approach it like any other game and stay calm.”
Gold (17-1 overall, 4-1 in SCLL) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Zach Fischer singled, stole second base and scored on Brock Sieve’s base hit into left-center field.
American (5-10, 0-6) answered in the bottom of the inning behind back-to-back singles from Brandon Prange and Kyle Moret. Jimmy Vosburg’s sacrifice bunt moved the runner up before a wild pitch from Gold starter Zach Quiring and Adam Murray’s sacrifice fly made it 2-1.
New Ulm looked like it would waste a lead-off walk to Quinn O’Connor in the fifth frame, but an American miscue enabled a pair of two-run hits — Zach Ficher’s bouncer into right field and Garrett Fischer’s rocket over the left-center field fence — to give Gold a 5-2 lead.
“You can’t really ask for much more than that,” American coach Ben Smith said. “The kids really battled. It was just a few little things here and there. I liked the way we got our bunts down and executed the hit and run.
“These guys come from four different schools and it’s always an unknown how they’re going to react to each other, but we have good team chemistry.”
Post 11 sliced the deficit to 5-4 in the sixth inning as four straight hits — Prange, Moret, Vosburg and Murray — produced a pair of runs. Quiring, who struck out one and walked one while allowing nine hits, got two infield pop-ups to leave two runners stranded.
Tyler Swanson’s second hit of the contest gave American a two-out runner in the final frame, but Gold relief pitcher Kyle Fischer retired Prange on a fly ball to center field. Prange ended up with three hits while Moret and Murray chipped in two each.
“Obviously that wasn’t their ace pitcher but we had a close game with them,” Prange, a St. Clair native, said. “Nothing really changed with the new pitcher. He was a little faster so I was hoping I could hit it farther, but I just got under it too much.”
Vaubel allowed eight hits while striking out two, walking two and hitting a batter. He threw 105 pitches in going the distance.
American plays Mankato Post 11 National today in an 8 p.m. game at Wolverton and Gold begins play today against Oakdale in the Upper Midwest Classic.
- Sports
-
-
Newcomer Rowles helps Mavs to NSIC sweep
Minnesota State started the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season with a bang, sweeping Northern State.
-
Twins, Mauer agree on 8-year, $184M extension
The MInnesota Twins and Joe Mauer agreed to a deal Sunday that will keep the All-Star catch in Minnesota through 2018.
-
Scarlets unfazed by turnover of talent
Vanessa Lloyd and Nikki Starkson are two key players Mankato West will look to replace the departed talent of all-state picks Ashley Veroeven and Ashley Goettl.
-
Loyola looks to erase bad taste of last year
The veteran players on the Loyola softball team remember well how last season ended. They had reached the final round of the Section 2A Tournament and needed to lose twice to be denied a Class A state tournament berth. However, the win never came as the Crusaders fell short of state.
-
Gusties fall to Elmira, finish fourth
The Gustavus women's hockey team lost to Elmira 4-1 in the NCAA Division III third place game Saturday at Don Roberts Ice Rink in St. Peter.
-
Bjorklund develops into inside force for Sibley East
Marshall Bjorklund, a 6-foot-8 senior center, has been a fixture in Sibley East basketball since his freshman season, compiling 1,877 points, 1,274 rebounds and 381 blocked shots, all of which stands as program records.
-
Heavy dose of Bjorklund leads Sibley East to 5AA title
Sibley East rolled past Foley 76-57 in the championship game of the Section 5AA boys basketball tournament Friday at St. Cloud State’s Halenbeck Hall.
-
Gustavus' Martinson named Player of the Year
On Thursday night, David Martinson was awarded the Sid Watson Award as the nation’s top Division III player by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
-
Gustavus falls to Amherst in national semifinals
Amherst came out firing Friday at Don Roberts Ice Rink, gaining the advantage from the opening whistle and skating to a 4-0 victory over Gustavus in the Division III national semifinals.
-
Experienced East looks to stay on top of the Big Nine
Coming off of a 20-4 season, including a Big Nine title, the Mankato East softball team has big aspirations for the upcoming season.
- More Sports Headlines
-
