Cathedral defeats Loyola

By ANDY ROGERS

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Cathedral baseball team did just what it needed to do to start the season off on the right foot.

In five innings, the Greyhounds (1-0, 0-0) scored 10 while holding Mankato Loyola to two hits and five scoreless innings.

"Our defense made a lot of nice plays," coach Bob Weier said. "(Although) they were routine, but in the first game, you never know. The biggest thing was that our pitchers got the shutout."

Cathedral's Jacob Mertz grabbed the win, pitching the first two innings, striking out four and allowing two hits.

Scott Knisley relieved Mertz in the third, walking the five and striking out four. Adam Neubauer pitched the last inning, with one walk.

"We wanted to use four pitchers today, but we only played five innings," Weier said.

Mankato Loyola had trouble in the field causing seven errors and both pitchers had a rough outing.

Mitch Palmer hit an RBI single in the first inning to hit Cory Schnobrich home. In the second,Adam Neubauer had an RBI triple and eventually got home on a walk with the bases loaded.

Neubauer had another RBI in the third to get John Knisley home, with the help of a Loyola error.

The fourth inning was key for the Greyhounds. Mankato Loyola's Danny McCorgar relieved starter Jack Burgess, who allowed four runs in the first three innings.

The Greyhounds got the bat on the ball early and fast in the fourth.

"Maybe our hitters at a few more at bats in the ball game," said. "Maybe they got their kinks out early."

The top of the Greyhounds lineup started the five-run inning. Schnobrich doubled, and Dusty Wilfahrt hit him home with an inside the park home run. Palmer tripled, Kyle Helget walked and Mertz hit them both home with a triple before any outs were recorded in the fourth.

"We hit ball nicely especially going the other way," Weier said. "We had some nice hits to right field. We worked with that in practice."

Helget hit an RBI single in the fifth to make it 10.

"Hopefully it was a good tune up for Thursday's game," Weier said.

Cathedral hosts Wabasso Thursday at Mueller Park.

In the junior varsity game, Cathedral crushed Loyola 12-2 in six innings. Josh Sabatino got the win as the Greyhounds no-hit the Crusaders. Sabatino tossed three innings and allowed one run and walked one.

Dustin Hillesheim went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four runs scored to lead Cathedral. Andy Boyle was 2-for-3 with three RBI, and John Wurtzberger went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.

Mankato Loyola 0 0 0 0 0 --0

Cathedral 1 2 1 5 1--10

Cathedral defeats Loyola