When New Ulm Gold’s Jaden Drill drove a Jared Grams offering over the right-field fence in the third inning for a three-run homer and a 5-1 lead over Mankato American on Sunday, it looked for all intents and purposes that New Ulm was going to win the 2021 Upper Midwest Classic championship.
But New Ulm’s bats — which had led to 55 runs in the first five games of the tournament — went silent after the four-run inning.
Mankato’s Tanner Borchardt relieved Grams after Drill’s home run and held Gold hitless the rest of the game and the American scored six unanswered runs to go on and down Gold 7-5 Sunday afternoon at Johnson Park.
Borchardt got the win for the American, who defeated Eastview 15-11 earlier in the day to advance to the game with New Ulm.
Jackson Bode took the loss for Gold, now 13-5 on the season.
Drill led he New Ulm offense with a triple, a home run and three RBIs.
