New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Lamberton edged Sleepy Eye to qualify for the state amateur baseball tournament and Stark upset Hanska as four other teams will battle for the remaining state berth in the Region 2C playoffs.

In the playoff scenario in which five teams remained in contention after the games Sunday, Lamberton moved to the finals with its 7-6 win over Sleepy Eye. Sleepy Eye now plays at Hanska Wednesday at 8:30 in the elimination bracket. Hanska lost to Stark 4-2. And Essig sent St. James to the mothballs with a 9-6 win and moves on to meet Stark at 8 p.m. at Johnson Park in New Ulm.

The playoff bracket for Region 2C which is now the final version is attached and updated.

SLEEPY EYE--- Landon Erickson hammered a long two-out two-run homer in the ninth inning to lead Lamberton to a 7-6 win over host Sleepy Eye in 2C playoff action Sunday afternoon. In the sixth he had doubled to drive in a run during a three-run rally. Sleepy Eye had scored three runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead but saw the Longsox score two in the eighth and another two in the ninth to win it.

Alan Woitas had three hits for Sleepy Eye and Zac Salfer a pair. Jake Bohnen drove in two runs. Joining Erickson with two hits for St. James were Matt Samyn and Tyler Reiner.
Lamberton ....... 000 003 022 --- 7
Sleepy Eye ...... 011 001 300 --- 6
Compiled from New Ulm Journal article 8/10/09.

ST. JAMES --- Mitch Stueber and Kyle Helget each had four hits and Frank Frostner pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief as Essig upended St. James 9-6 to knock the Saints from the Region 2C playoffs. Essig had two hits, 10 off starter David Krause who exited in the third.

Essig took a 7-2 lead after three but St. James came back with three in the fifth and another in the sixth to come within 8-6. That's when Searles draftee Forstner came on to pitch scoreless and hitless ball for 3.2 innings in relief of starter Drew Wenninger.

Stueber also drove in three runs and Helget a pair. Ryan Weier had three hits and scored two for the Bluejays.
Brandon Olson went 2-5 with a home run in the fifth and Tyler Kraus two for four with two RBI.

Essig will now play Stark Wednesday in New Ulm's Johnson Park at 8 p.m.

Essig....... 223 010 001 --- 9 -20 - 1
St. James 020 031 000 --- 6 -- 7 - 1
Drew Wenninger, Frank Forster (5) and Larry Haala; David Krause, Jake Miesen (3) and Shea Roehrkasse. W- Wenninger. L - Krause. S - Forstner.