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

Searles Bullheads scored first and second round wins in the Minnesota Senior Men's Amateur Baseball Association's state tournament over the weekend. Saturday night the Bullheads beat Perham 7-0 at Union Hill. Sunday evening at Shakopee they defeated the Menahga Relics 6-2.

The wins advanced the Bullheads advance to semi-final action at the Jordan Mini-Met 7 p.m. Saturday evening August 28 against the Bloomington vs. Veseli winner. A win would put the Bullheads back into the championship game Sunday at 7:30pm, also in Jordan.

Terry Steinbach went the distance against Perham striking out six and allowing just two hits. Against Menahga, Kyle Messner fanned 14, walked none, and gave up six Relic's hits in a complete game.

The Bullheads scored early in the win over Perham, plating one first inning run as Messner and Doug Ekstrom singled and Mike Marquardt drove in Messner with a sacrifice fly. Four runs were added in the second on three walks, an infield error, and a big bases clearing double off the bat of Scott Schaefer. Dave Fauth walked to open the third, advanced on a Tom Steinbach base hit, and scored run number six on a Marc Max fielder's choice. The final insurance run was added in the seventh when Fauth walked, Bruce Jacobs singled, and Terry Steinbach drove in Fauth with a sacrifice fly.

After two scoreless innings, Menahga scored first in Sunday's game by bunching three hits off Messner to take a 1-0 third inning lead. However, Searles bounced right back with three of their own in the bottom of the inning with three consecutive hits off Relics' losing pitcher Jim Burous. Messner, John Giefer, and Schaefer singled, and an infield error on a Marquardt ground ball accounted for the scoring.

Terry Steinbach led off the fourth with a walk. Jacobs ran for Steinbach. Ekstrom followed with a single and both runners later advanced on a wild pitch. Messner drove in Jacobs and Ekstrom to give the Bullheads a 5-0 advantage. Giefer then singled and later scored the sixth run as the shortstop mis-played another Marquardt ground ball.

Searles Bullheads ....... 141 000 1 7/5/1
Perham Silver Pirates .. 000 000 0 0/2/1
Terry Steinbach and Schaefer,Tim Steinbach (6); Lackey and Nelson. 2B-Schaefer (S).

Menahga Relics ......... 001 001 0 2/6/2
Searles Bullheads....... 003 300 X 6/10/0
Burous (L) and Jack Kern. Messner (W) and Schaefer
2B-Dormaneu (M), Tom Steinbach(S)

Submitted by: Bruce Jacobs - Searles Bullheads media rep.