|
|
|
April 26, 2000
Rabbits win 'must-win game'By BOB VARMETTE Journal Sports Writer WABASSO -- Even this early in the season, the Wabasso Rabbits needed this win. The defending Class 1A champions already had a pair of losses, and conference losses at that. With a victory, the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds effectively would have made it a two-team race. The Greyhounds may regret the lost opportunity. And opportunities Cathedral had, but Wabasso held off the largely punchless Greyhounds 6-4 Tuesday in Tomahawk Conference softball. "It was definitely a must-win game for the conference," Wabasso coach John VanLoy said. "And it was a chance to prove that maybe we weren't as bad as we were at New Ulm." One of the two conference losses for Wabasso (3-2, 3-2 Tomahawk) was a 9-1 setback to the Greyhounds. It was a game the Rabbits were never in. This time, it was a game. Despite some still shaky defense, the Rabbits got a solid outing from Angela Schumacher in only her second varsity start. Schumacher (2-1) limited Cathedral to only five hits in 5 1-3 innings. But five Rabbit errors made it an even tougher loss to take for Cathedral (4-2, 4-2). "We were putting the bat on the ball, but we weren't putting the bat on the ball with a lot of authority," Cathedral coach Bob Mertz said. "We're not hitting with a lot of confidence. I think it's because we're not able to execute and then we get a little frustrated." Schumacher gave up four runs -- only one earned -- before Jenny VanLoy worked the final 1 2-3 innings for the save. "It went better than my first start," Schumacher said. "I came out with a lot more confidence. Toward the end of the game, I got a little tired, but Jenny came in and did a good job for us." Playing the Greyhounds wouldn't be the game you would expect to come into with a lot of confidence. But Schumacher didn't approach it that way. "Cathedral is a good team, but you can't come in being scared," Schumacher said. "You've got to play the game. We knew we had to win, but we weren't stressing. We come out every game feeling we have to win." Dee Wilfahrt (2-2) worked six innings for the Greyhounds, yielding six runs -- three earned -- on seven hits. She struck out three and walked four. Three errors ultimately proved to be the difference. The three errors gave the Rabbits three unearned runs and gave Schumacher a three-run cushion after the first inning. Cathedral got back to within a run in the top of the fourth taking advantage of the first three Wabasso errors. Andrea Dittrich got a lead-off walk, headed for second on Jenny Helget's single back through the box and came all the way around to score when the ball rolled past the glove of Wabasso center fielder Tiffany Froehlich. Helget later scored from third on the second Wabasso error of the inning. Wabasso upped its margin in the fifth, adding three runs on three hits. Alyssa Rickett's two-RBI triple to the gap in right brought in Holly Altermatt and Amanda Frank. "We hit the ball well against a quality pitcher," VanLoy said. "We went up by four runs -- good thing. ... Two innings, we do dumb things. We throw the ball around, that kind of stuff." Wabasso withstood a two-run Cathedral rally in the sixth aided by two more Rabbit errors. Cathedral got back-to-back singles from Brianna Balbach and Laura Hazuka to lead off the seventh, but Jenny VanLoy retired the final three Greyhound batters in order. "It's tough to scrap back," Mertz said. "We had a chance in that last inning. We just didn't get the job done. "They gave us some chances, they opened the door for us a number of times with big hitters up. We just didn't come through." The loss makes the Greyhounds' Monday home game against McLeod West a must-win in a conference still up for grabs. It doesn't get any easier for Wabasso with a home game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Thursday. But the Rabbits go in with a big win. "Any win is a big win, but we deserved to win this game," Altermatt said. "We knew we had to win this game. That's something that was in our head before the start of the game. But our attitude all along has been to win." In the junior varsity game, Cathedral (6-0) crushed Wabasso 26-0 in five innings. Ashley Hillesheim struck out 12 in getting the win, and Kelly Kuehn and Liesl Genelin each collected a pair of hits for the Greyhounds. Cathedral's freshman team also won big, taking a 30-1 decision from Mankato Loyola. Krissy Dittrich was the winning pitcher, and Heather Schmitz and Jenna Schugel each had three hits for the Greyhounds. CATHEDRAL 000 202 0 -- 4 5 3 WABASSO 300 030 x -- 6 7 5 Wilfahrt and Balbach. A.Schumacher, Jen.VanLoy (6) and Altermatt. W--A.Schumacher, 2-1. L--Wilfahrt, 2-2. S--Jen.VanLoy. HRs--None.
|