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

SEARLES - Prior Lake Mariners ace lefthander and former minor leaguer Mike Fier struck out nine and walked just one en-route to a 3-0 shut-out of the Searles Bullheads Sunday evening in Searles. The Bullheads actually out-hit the Mariners 5-4, but just couldn't get the big hit when they needed it.
With one out in the first inning, Fier allowed three singles by John Giefer, Mike Marquardt, and Tom Steinbach to load the bases for Searles. He then notched back to back strikeouts to end the inning. The Bullheads weren't able to get a runner past second the rest of the game.
All three Prior Lakes runners who scored, reached base on walks.
Loser Tom Steinbach struck out seven and walked five. Marquardt threw the final frame allowing just one base runner on an error.
Bullheads' defense kept the game close. Right fielder Bruce Jacobs prevented the fpirtj Mariner's run by throwing out a base runner at home to end the fourth. In the fifth, shortstop John Giefer made a diving stab of a grounder up the middle, and with the help of a brilliant barehanded turn at 2nd base by Doug Eckstrom, executed a double-play. That play sent a base runner to third for Prior Lake, which catcher Myron Seidl later turned into an out as he fielded a wild pitch off the backstop and caught the base runner off third to end the 5th inning.
The Bullheads travel to Waconia for a Friday night game this week. They then host St. Louis Park and Union Hill in a Sunday (Aug. 1st) double-header beginning at 4:00PM .

Prior Lake 010-200-0 3-4-0
Searles 000-000-0 0-5-1
PL - Fier(W) and McDonald. S - Steinbach(L), Marquardt (7), and Seidl
Submitted by Bullheads media rep Bruce Jacobs