(St. Cloud Times)

NEW MUNICH — Matt Middendorf stepped into the box in the top of the 10th inning with two runners on.

What he didn't know was by the bottom of the inning he and his Elrosa Saints teammates would be toasting beers as the Stearns County League Tournament champions after a 4-3 win.

"In the time I've been here we've never won at New Munich," said the longtime shortstop. "We had already blown a lead and we've lost a lot of heartbreakers there."

But through his heroics in the field and outcome of that 10th inning at-bat, he was able to turn around and fist-pound his teammates for the first time on the New Munich field.

And that final at-bat against lefty reliever Nick Stangler told the whole story of the game.

Nick, the third Stangler brother and Silver Streak's pitcher of the game, opened with a hanging curve ball that missed the inside corner.

Ball one.

Just as Middendorf jumped ahead in the count, the Saints jumped ahead in the score line. After two scoreless innings Elrosa grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third on Kevin Kuefler and Pat Illies RBI knocks.

"Getting early runs can really relax you," Middendorf said. "Today it gave us breathing room and helped build our confidence so we could just go out there and play. When you get early runs you give yourself good odds to win."

The second pitch to Middendorf in the 10th was also a ball, this time a low fastball. In the same way that he took an early lead in the count, Elrosa had momentum moving favorably.

Right-handed starter Ethan Vogt cruised through the first eight innings, stranding four runners on base and allowing one run. He picked up key double plays in the seventh and eighth innings.

"He threw a damn good game," said Illies, who is also the Saints' manager. "They have some good hitters and he really kept them in check and gave us a chance to win. And that's all you can ask."

Stangler's third pitch to Middendorf just missed the outside corner. Ball three.

Just as Middendorf seemed like a lock for a walk with the 3-0 count, Elrosa seemed like a lock for a victory after they took two-run advantage in the top of the ninth on an RBI Vogt double.

Stangler then fired a fastball down the heart of the plate for a strike in the fourth pitch. Count: 3-1.

Just as he finally got a strike, New Munich finally got something going in the bottom of the ninth.

Karl Funk singled in Joe Hoppe and Joe Stangler with two outs to tie the game.

"That's baseball," Kuefler said. "One minute it's all going your way, the next it reverses on you. But you have to give them credit, they kept fighting.

Stangler's fifth pitch to Middendorf in the 10th was a strike that hit the outside corner.

Middendorf immediately thought it was a ball and started walking to first before the home plate umpire called him back.

Just as he was called back, Elrosa had to be put in a reality check. Despite leading from the third inning on the game was all evened up at 3.

Also now that the count was full Middendorf had the great mental debate of baseball hitters: Was it a mistake to not go after the 3-0 pitch that he knew was likely to be a very hittable pitch.

"You try not to second guess everything but sometimes you start seeing things slip away," Middendorf said.

In the same way Elrosa had to have some regrets about not breaking the game open. The Saints left eight men on base in innings 5-8.

With one out in the fifth Steve Mueller lined into a double play with the bases loaded. In the seventh Elrosa again loaded the bases with one out, but Vogt struck out and designated hitter Matt Bauer lined to center to strand the runners.

"We really let some chances slip," Illies said. "But we were still hitting the ball hard. Things just didn't fall our way.

The payoff pitch was a fastball that Middendorf got under and sharply hit to second basemen Craig Welle. It was a tailor-made double play.

Just as in the ninth the components were right for a New Munich walk-off. Funk crushed a double to right- center that was mishandled by Kuefler in center. Funk was cruising around the bases and was waved past third in what looked like to be an easy score.

But just as Welle mishandled the routine grounder at second in the 10th that loaded the bases loaded for the eventual game-winner, a Kuefler RBI single in the next at-bat, Middendorf took the cutoff throw in the ninth and fired a strike to surprise spectators and get Funk out at home.

"It was all fundamentals," Middendorf said. "It all comes back to what you learn in little league. Plus if you want to win in the big games you have to come up with big plays at big times."

Zach Weller came in to close out the bottom of the 10th. The win gives Elrosa a higher seed in the upcoming Region Tournament and a higher draft position of the remaining players in the league.