Legion team ends regular season 16-1; starts District playoffs Friday

Hopes for a perfect season were dashed last week as New Prague’s Post 45 American Legion baseball team dropped a 7-5 game to Red Wing at home Tuesday, July 12, but New Prague came back to win its final four games. The team heads into the Third District playoffs with a 16-1 record. The district seeding meeting was scheduled for Wednesday evening, after this edition of The Times went to press. New Prague will most likely have a high seed and will host a best-of-three series, with the winner entering the 16-team double-elimination tournament next week in Burnsville and Apple Valley.

Two teams from the Third District will advance to the State American Legion baseball tournament, to be held August 4-7 in St. Cloud.

Red Wing 7, New Prague 5

With a number of players on vacation, New Prague had just 10 players for this game. Still, the squad was leading 5-1 after three innings when their bats turned cold and Red Wing scored four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to take the win.

Josh Simon, Matt Ambroz and Luke Hanzel had two hits each for New Prague. Dan Meger started and went five-plus innings, giving way to Josh Simon after the first two batters singled to open the sixth inning. Simon couldn’t shut down Red Wing’s offense, though, and they tied the game. Red Wing scored two more in the seventh to take the win.

Meger allowed six hits and three runs, striking out three. Simon allowed four runs and seven hits, striking out one while taking the loss.

July 12, at New Prague

Red Wing 001 004 2 — 7 12 0

New Prague 032 000 0 — 5 8 0

NP pitchers: Meger, Simon (L, 4-1)

NP hits: Simon 2, Ambroz 2 (2B), Beckius, Hanzel 2, T. Bergstrom

New Prague 10,

Woodbury White 0

New Prague won the first game of a doubleheader Thursday, July 14, and made quick work of it, scoring twice in the fifth inning to end the game on the 10-run rule. Mike Goldsmith had two hits and Kyle Bergstrom homered for New Prague, who had seven hits. Tony Kubes drove in three runs and Ambroz drove in two.

Bergstrom went the distance for New Prague, allowing just three hits in five innings. He struck out one.

July 14, at New Prague

Woodbury Wt. 000 00 — 0 3 1

New Prague 332 02 — 10 7 0

NP pitchers: K. Bergstrom (W, 5-0)

NP hits: Goldsmith 2 (2B), Simon, Kubes, K. Bergstrom (HR), Ky. Kalina (2B), Seurer

New Prague 10,

Woodbury White 1

In the second game, Tyler Seurer allowed two hits over seven innings and gave up just one unearned run as New Prague won 10-1. Kyle Kalina and Bergstrom both had two hits, with Kalina getting things going with a one-out triple in the first inning. Bergstrom had a pair of doubles.

July 14, at New Prague

New Prague 300 043 0 — 10 10 1

Woodbury Wt. 010 000 0 — 1 2 1

NP pitchers: Seurer (W, 2-0)

NP hits: Ky Kalina 2 (3B), Ambroz (2B), Friedges, K. Bergstrom 2 (2-2B), Tupy, Ke Kalina (2B), Beckius, Seurer

New Prague 3, Faribault 0

Simon struck out eight batters and earned the shutout, allowing just five hits as New Prague beat Faribault 3-0 in Faribault Saturday.

New Prague got a run in the second inning, with Kubes getting a double and scoring when Jon Beckius hit into a fielder’s choice.

New Prague got a couple of insurance runs in the fifth. Goldsmith and Meger led off with a pair of singles. Simon sacrificed the two, then Bergstrom drove in both runs with a base hit.

Goldsmith and Kubes each had two hits for New Prague.

July 16, at Faribault

New Prague 010 020 0 — 3 10 0

Faribault 000 000 0 — 0 5 0

NP pitchers: Simon (W, 5-1)

NP hits: Goldsmith 2, Meger, Simon (2B), Bergstrom, Kubes 2 (2B), Kalina, Bisek, Beckius

New Prague 14, Lakeville II 3

New Prague won its regular season finale 14-3 over Lakeville II at Memorial Park. They set the tone early, with Goldsmith leading off with a walk and stealing second. Meger drove him in with a single, then scored on a double by Matt Ambroz.

Kyle Bergstrom led off the second with a home run.

Leading 3-1 in the fourth, New Prague added four more runs, then scored one in the fifth and six in the sixth, as they sent 11 men to the plate. Kubes had four hits for New Prague, including two in the sixth. Ambroz and Bergstrom had two hits each.

Ben Bartelt pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned. He gave up four hits and struck out six.

July 18, at New Prague

Lakeville II 001 002 0 — 3 4 2

New Prague 210 416 x — 14 18 2

NP pitchers: Bartelt (W, 4-0)

NP hits: Goldsmith, T. Bergstrom, Meger, Simon, Beckius 2 (3B), Ambroz 2 (2B), Kubes 4 (3-2B), Hanzel, K. Bergstrom 2 (HR, 2B), Gill 2B, Friedges, Ky Kalina

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