Over-35 Robins win 2; advance to semifinals

The New Prague Robins won their first two games in the Minnesota Senior Men's Amateur Baseball Association (Over-35) State tournament last weekend.

New Prague 11, New Hope 1

New Prague opened with an 11-1 win over New Hope at their home field. The Robins scored one in the first, four in the second, four in the fourth and two in the fifth. Starting pitcher Paul Nelson surrendered only a single run in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly.

New Prague got an unearned run in the bottom of the first when Paul Cole singled and scored after a couple of errors.

In the second, Eric Witty reached on an error with two outs and Doug Tikalsky walked. Both scored on a triple by Brad Bartyzal. Bartyzal came home on a hit by Cole, and Cole scored after a pair of New Hope errors.

New Prague made it 9-1 in the fourth. Bartyzal reached on an error and John McFarland and Joe Hoffman walked. Brad Busch brought in a couple of runs with a base hit. After Mark Novak walked, Witty drove in two more with another base hit.

New Prague got one more in the fifth. Pearson walked and Cole was hit by a pitch. MacFarland singled to bring in the final run, ending the game on the 10-run rule.

New Prague had seven hits, with Cole the only hitter to get two hits. Nelson threw a one-hitter, allowing only the leadoff single in the first.

New Prague 7, St. Peter 3

New Prague took a 6-0 lead against St. Peter, scoring once in the first, twice in the second and third and once in the fifth.

Bartyzal got a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and scored on a hit by McFarland.

In the second, Mike Pearson reached on an error and Mike Dols walked. After Bartyzal reached on a fielder's choice, Cole hit a fly ball to right, but the right fielder misjudged the ball and two runs scored.

New Prague made it 5-0 in the third. Hoffman reached on an error and Witty and Pearson singled to score a run. Tikalsky grounded to short, but the first baseman dropped the throw, allowing another run to score.

It became a 6-0 game in the fifth. Busch opened with a double to left. Witty singled, sending Busch to third. Busch scored when the Robins executed a delayed double-steal, with Witty stealing second and Busch scoring after the catcher threw to second.

St. Peter got three runs in the sixth with the help of a couple of Robins' errors. New Prague got one of those back in the bottom of the sixth. Cole and McFarland got one-out singles and Hoffman was hit by a pitch. Busch drew a bases-loaded walk to score the run.

The Robins kept St. Peter off the board in the seventh to end the game.

New Prague had six hits, with McFarland collecting two of those. They were aided by four St. Peter errors

Hoffman pitched six innings and allowed three runs, none of them earned. He allowed three hits and struck out seven.

New Prague will play at 8 p.m. Saturday at Belle Plaine against Hanska. Hanska features the Steinbach brothers, including former major leaguer Terry Steinbach, who threw a no-hitter for the Bullheads in their second-round win Sunday.