Photo by Travis Rosenau: Marshall first baseman JR Vierstraete rounds third base during an Sub-State 2 American Legion baseball tournament game against New Ulm Gold on Thursday at Johnson Park in New Ulm. The Tigers picked up an 8-3 win over Mankato National to start the day before dropping down to the elimination bracket with a 6-4 loss to New Ulm.

NEW ULM — Coming off a thrilling 8-3 win over Mankato National in the second round of the Sub-State 2 American Legion baseball tournament, Marshall was unable to carry its momentum into its winner’s bracket semifinal game against New Ulm, falling 6-4 to drop to the elimination bracket.

New Ulm Legion Gold’s Caleb Forstner threw only five pitches in the game, but they were the biggest of the season.

Forstner relieved starter Kolton Achman with two outs and the bases loaded and New Ulm holding a 6-4 lead.

Forstner went to a 2-2 count on Marshall’s Liam Kruse before getting a called third strike to end the game as Gold downed Marshall 6-4.

Achman got the win for New Ulm, who is now the only unbeaten team in the tournament. The right-hander went 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs — all unearned — while striking out eight.

Logan Miller took the loss for Marshall allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Zach Hubbard, Kyle Albrecht and Ethan Thompson each had two hits for New Ulm with Hubbard and Albrecht each driving in two runs.

New Ulm now plays Mankato National at 6:30 p.m. at Johnson Park, while Marshall meets Mankato American today at 4 p.m. at Johnson Park.

“We have had three real nice pitching performances in a row,” New Ulm Gold coach Curt Forbrook said. “And we can do a lot with that. Kolton really settled in tonight and he shook off that (third) inning where we had (three) errors — he got stronger as he went along.”

Marshall head coach Mitch Maxwell said that his team put themselves behind the eight-ball right away when New Ulm scored three runs in the top of the first inning.

“We gave up some free bases (three walks) Logan has done a nice job for us all summer and struggled a little bit in that first inning,” Maxwell said.

Hubbard led off by reaching on an infield error and was sacrificed to second by Colin Anderson. Jake Finstad singled and a walk to Elliot Schabert loaded the bases.

A Kyle Albrecht single made it 2-0. Walks to Logan Mielke and Ethan Thompson gave New Ulma 3-0 lead.

Gold added two more runs in the top of the third. Dirk Haynes singled to lead off the inning. Parker Neubauer’s two-out single and a Hubbard base hit made it 4-0. Colin Anderson’s base hit had New Ulm leading 5-0.

Marshall rebounded with four runs in the bottom of the inning using three hits and three New Ulm errors to cut the lead to 5-4.

“We answered the call with a four spot,” Maxwell said. “We were right there.”

But Achman would not allow Marshall to get any closer as he allowed just one hit- that being a two-out single from Josh Kraft in the bottom of the seventh.

“We had that one tough inning but we battled through the adversity,” Forbrook said. “And Kolton got better as the game went along.”

New Ulm added an insurance run in the fifth on a Thompson double and a Hubbard base hit.

Marshall then threatened in that seventh inning when — after two were out — he allowed a walk, a single and a walk before Forstner came in in relief.

“All season long Caleb has come in and really done a nice job for us,” Forbrook said. “And he did it again tonight.”

Maxwell said that his team does not want their season to be over.

“They will flush this tonight and we have to play a good Mankato American team (Friday),” he said.

New Ulm Gold earlier in the day upset top-seeded American 2-1 behind Colin Anderson who scattered four hits.

Marshall defeated Mankato National 8-3 earlier in the day Thursday to advance to the game with Gold.

Marshall fell into an early 2-0 hole in its second-round matchup against Mankato National, but they responded with a three-run second inning and a five-run fourth inning to coast to victory. Liam Kruse earned the win, giving up two earned runs on four hits over six innings, while Levi Maeyaert led the Mudcats at the plate with two RBIs on a double, a single and a walk in four plate appearance.

GAME 1

BOX SCORE

MARSHALL

C. Bahl: L, 3 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO; B. Kenward: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 SO.

BOX SCORE

MARSHALL

C. Bahl: L, 3 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO; B. Kenward: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 2 SO.