Legion team wins 2 more
New Prague’s Post 45 American Legion baseball team upped its record to 7-0 with a pair of wins in the last week.
On Tuesday, June 21, they won a non-league game against Apple Valley, 2-1, and on Monday, June 27, they came from behind to beat Hastings, 7-2.
The team was scheduled to play at Jordan Wednesday, June 29. On Thursday, June 30, they play host to Faribault at 7:30 p.m. Their home game with St. Peter, originally scheduled for July 18, has been moved to Friday, July 1, and will be played at Lonsdale at 7:30 p.m. They will return to action Tuesday, July 5, when they play at Red Wing, then host Farmington on Wednesday, July 6.
The June 7 game at Faribault, which was rained out, has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 16, at noon at Bell Field in Faribault.
New Prague 2, Apple Valley 1
Dan Meger’s single to left field scored Eric Bisek with the winning run as New Prague upset the state’s No. 2-ranked team, Apple Valley, 2-1 at New Prague Tuesday.
The game featured outstanding pitching from both teams. New Prague’s Ben Bartelt and Josh Simon shared the mound duties. Bartelt gave up just three hits in four innings of work and struck out three. He allowed an unearned run in the first inning and that was all the offense the 76ers could muster.
Apple Valley allowed just one hit —a double by Tyler Seurer—and one walk through the first three innings. But that changed in the fifth when Bisek led off with a solo home run. New Prague threatened to score another run when Kyle Bergstrom followed with a single and Adam Gill sacrificed him to second. With two outs, Bergstrom moved to third on a wild pitch. Seurer walked, but then was picked off at first to end the threat.
Apple Valley got a man on in the top of the seventh, but the threat ended on a double play when Simon struck out the batter and Eric Bisek threw out the runner trying to steal second.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bisek drew a one-out walk and stole second. With two outs, Adam Gill walked, setting up the game-winning hit by Meger.
June 21, at New Prague
Apple Valley 100 000 0 — 1 4 0
New Prague 000 010 1 — 1 4 1
NP pitchers: Bartelt, Simon (W, 2-0)
NP hits: Bisek (HR), K. Bergstrom, Meger, Seurer (2B)
New Prague 7, Hastings 2
For four innings, New Prague did little right, as Hastings took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning.
Things changed though, as Hastings threatened to break the game open. After their leadoff runner reached base, Bisek threw him out trying to steal. The next two batters reached base, but then Bartelt struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fifth, with storm clouds coming in from the west, New Prague provided a little thunder. Seurer pinch hit and drew a walk, and Simon attempted a sacrifice bunt but reached base when the catcher’s throw to first was low and skipped into right field, putting runners on second and third.
Matt Ambroz followed with a two-run double. Bisek sacrificed him to third and Ambroz scored on a hit by Bergstrom. Kubes singled and, with two outs, Meger doubled to drive in two more runs. Mike Goldsmith drove in the last run with a triple, scoring Meger.
After New Prague got the last out of the inning, they started to take the field when the rains struck, accompanied by some lightning. The game was called after five innings, with New Prague taking the 7-2 win.
Bergstrom had two hits for New Prague, while Goldsmith, Ambroz, Bisek, Kubes and Meger had one each. Bartelt allowed eight hits and two runs in five innings, while striking out six.
June 27, at New Prague
Hastings 001 10 — 2 8 2
New Prague 100 06 — 7 7 2
NP pitchers: Bartelt (W, 2-0)
NP hits: Goldsmith (3B), Ambroz (2B), Bisek, K Bergstrom 2 (2B), Kubes, Meger (2B)
