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

ESSIG - Despite that there were five teams in the 12-team Tomahawk League East with better win totals than Essig, the Bluejays celebrated a Region 2C championship here Sunday by mounting a 9-4 rout over the New Ulm Brewers.

Sam Hansen shut down the Brewers by scattering 12 hits to send his team into the state tournament at Willmar against the Region 8 runner-up. New Ulm will play at 11:00 a.m. against the Region 3C champion. For the Class C tournament brackets Click Here Opponents are from the Victory Leagues represented by Lastrup, Essig's opponent, from the Victory East and Sobieski, New Ulm's foe, from the Victory West. More familiar towns in the league include Pierz, Brainerd, Royalton, and Foley.

During the season Essig finished third in the National division with 11 wins. The Brewers won it with 14. Sleepy Eye in the same division won 12. Lamberton with 18, Searles with 16 and Hanska with 12 all had more wins.

The Brewers, one of the most improved teams in the league this year, had a 3-0 lead before Essig went to work. It was 3-1 when Wade French got roughed up for four runs in the fourth as he sought his second straight playoff pitching victory credit. He earned a win in a ninth inning relief against Searles and had a ninth inning save in the game with Lamberton. Essig then mounted two more in each of the fifth and sixth innings while Hanson posted a string of six scoreless innings before giving up a harmless ninth inning run.

In contrast to Saturday night's 10-error game, none were charged to either team Sunday.

New Ulm drafted Leavenworth's (via Lamberton) ptcher-catcher Andy Cook. Essig picked up Lamberton's Derric Jenniges.

The completed Region 2C tournament scores and bracket is attached (below).

NU Brewers ..... 2 1 0 - 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 --- 4 - 12 - 0
Essig Bluejays . 0 1 0 - 4 2 2 - 0 0 x --- 9 - 13 - 0
Wade French (L), Andrew Irlbeck (5), Peters (8) and Peters, Drexler (8); Hansen and Haala