Marshall Jr. Black fall to New Ulm rally
Marshall drops to sub-state elimination bracket
Photo by Travis Rosenau Marshall's Carson Mensink slides into second during the first round of the Junior Legion Sub-State G Baseball Tournament at American Legion Field. Marshall fell 8-5 to New Ulm.
Photo by Daniel Lins Marshall pitcher Jack Bly delivers a pitch against New Ulm during the first round of the Junior Legion Sub-State G Baseball Tournament at American Legion Field.
Photo by Travis Rosenau Marshall's Carson Mensink slides into second during the first round of the Junior Legion Sub-State G Baseball Tournament at American Legion Field. Marshall fell 8-5 to New Ulm.
Photo by Daniel Lins Marshall pitcher Jack Bly delivers a pitch against New Ulm during the first round of the Junior Legion Sub-State G Baseball Tournament at American Legion Field.
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MARSHALL -- A five-run cushion entering the final inning looked like it would be enough for Marshall to punch its ticket to the next round of the Junior Legion Sub-State G Baseball Tournament, but New Ulm had other plans.
After being held in check for much of the evening, New Ulm erupted for seven runs in the top of the seventh inning, erasing a 5-1 deficit and stunning the home team with an 8-5 comeback victory at American Legion Field.
Marshall will play in an elimination bracket game at 9 a.m. Wednesday back at American Legion Field.
Marshall controlled the game through the first six innings, using timely hitting, solid defense and another strong outing on the mound from starter Jack Bly. But a combination of hard-hit balls and untimely free passes allowed New Ulm to seize momentum in the final frame, turning what had been a comfortable lead into a heartbreaking season-ending loss for Marshall.
"This game was summed up by both teams stringing a bunch of hits together," Marshall head coach Chace Pollock said. "We strung a bunch together in the fourth inning, and they got a bunch in the seventh, which made all the difference in the ballgame."
Neither offense found much success early as both starting pitchers settled in. The first two innings moved quickly, with each team struggling to generate sustained offense and neither side able to capitalize on limited scoring opportunities.
Marshall finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third inning. After putting pressure on the bases, the home team scored the game’s first run when a passed ball allowed a runner to cross the plate, giving Marshall a 1-0 advantage despite recording no RBI on the play.
The run appeared to energize Marshall, which continued to apply pressure offensively over the next several innings. Marshall pieced together productive at-bats and added to its lead in the fourth inning by scoring four runs for a 5-0 lead, creating separation while Bly continued to keep New Ulm’s lineup off balance.
In that four-run fourth, Bennett Graven and Rocco Rignell had back-to-back singles with one out. An error allowed Peyton Beek to reach and load the bases for Bly. Bly grounded out to put Marshall up 2-0 before a two-run double by Grady Wajer made it 4-0. An RBI single by Breandan Price put Marshall up 5-0.
By the time the seventh inning arrived, Marshall had built a comfortable 5-1 lead and appeared to be in firm control.
"We were cruising through six innings with a 5-1 lead," Pollock said. "That seventh inning happened in a hurry, and I have to give New Ulm credit. They hit a lot of balls hard that inning, and we gave them some free passes too."
New Ulm’s rally began with consecutive baserunners before the visitors started finding gaps throughout the field. The lineup combined for four hits in the inning, consistently delivering in key situations. The biggest swing came on an 0-2 pitch when Noah Gode connected for a two-run double to shift the momentum completely in the visitors’ favor.
As the inning went on, New Ulm continued to capitalize on every opportunity, taking advantage of both timely hitting and Marshall miscues. By the time the final out was recorded, the visitors had scored seven times to transform what once was a five-run deficit into an 8-5 lead.
Marshall was unable to answer in the bottom half of the seventh, allowing New Ulm to complete the dramatic comeback and move on in the tournament bracket.
Despite the disappointing finish, Bly turned in a strong performance for much of the contest. The right-hander worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits while striking out nine batters and issuing three walks before exiting during New Ulm’s decisive rally.
Offensively, Marshall was led by Wajer, who delivered two RBIs while batting out of the ninth spot in the lineup. Wajer also finished with two hits, matching Graven for the team lead in that category.
For six innings, Marshall played the type of baseball that had it on the verge of advancing. But one explosive inning by New Ulm proved to be the difference, as the visitors extended their postseason run while Marshall was left to wonder what might have been after seeing a late lead slip away.