Wabasso blanks Chargers

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- It was a solid game. Nothing spectacular.

But the Wabasso Rabbits did win their eighth-straight Tomahawk Conference game after an opening-day loss to New Ulm Cathedral.

It was a workman-like 4-0 win Tuesday afternoon over the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers.

"We could've scored more runs with some key hits with runners in scoring position," Wabasso coach John VanLoy said. "But MVL is a much-improved team. MVL played an excellent ballgame."

Well they did and they didn't. Sophomore pitcher Jennie Burt (3-6) pitched an excellent game for MVL, yielding only one earned run on just three hits.

The Chargers defense, though, committed seven errors. But then again, that same defense made some key plays that kept the score from being what it should have been.

"I thought for as many errors as we made, we made some good defensive plays, too," MVL coach Jim Buboltz said. "With a team like Wabasso, you make any errors at all -- even one or two -- that hurts.

"An error can be one of two things -- one where you don't have all that good of an effort and another where it was a good attempt."

MVL (5-10, 3-8 Tomahawk) also had its problems at the plate. Jenny VanLoy (8-1) won her eighth-straight game, befuddling the Charger hitters with her collection of pitches, including a nasty change-up.

Jenny VanLoy surrendered only two hits and faced only two batters more than the minimum. She allowed only four baserunners and only one made it past first base.

"I'm definitely happy with how I pitched," Jenny VanLoy said. "The past couple of games I've been more in control and it's showing."

Especially with that change-up.

Jenny VanLoy struck out two of the first three MVL batters and was perfect through the first two innings. The Chargers' Becca Kramer led off the third with a looping, line-drive single to center, but Jenny VanLoy got the magic working again and got the next two MVL batters.

Jenny VanLoy's only mistake of the inning even worked to her advantage. Kramer broke for the plate on a wild pitch, but Rabbit catcher Jessica VanLoy tracked down the ball and got the ball to her cousin Jenny VanLoy with about three feet to spare.

Wabasso (8-2, 8-1) committed its only error in the fourth, which gave the Chargers a baserunner, but Jenny VanLoy got out of that with little sweat expended. Gretta Nelson singled in the bottom of the fifth, but was forced when Kramer grounded to Annie Moore at shortstop. Meghan Braam then lined out hard to Amanda Frank at third to end the inning.

Jenny VanLoy retired the Chargers in order in the sixth and seventh innings, and struck out the side for added emphasis to end the game. It was a day in bright contrast to her first game; in the Rabbits' 6-3 loss to Cathedral, she walked six batters.

"Basically, everything was working for me," Jenny VanLoy said. "My change-up was on most of the time today. ... I've been improving a lot. I'm getting confidence in myself and confidence in my defense."

Jenny VanLoy struck out seven in the game and walked none. In fact, she only came close to walking a batter once -- only Kim Heldt in the seventh took her to a three-ball count, and she struck out.

"(Jenny) VanLoy is a great pitcher," Buboltz said. "She does a nice job of throwing strikes, she doesn't walk many people and you've got to be aggressive at the plate."

Wabasso gave Jenny VanLoy the only run she needed in the top of the first inning, using a single and two errors to plate Moore. The Rabbits strung together singles from Casey Price and Jessica VanLoy, and got a sacrifice fly from Jenny VanLoy to up their margin to 3-0 in the fourth.

Wabasso scored its final run in the top of the seventh without benefit of a hit, capitalizing upon the final two MVL errors.

"We have six or seven girls on this team that are back from state (tournament) teams," Jessica VanLoy said. "We should have better hitting. Today it was more we were off than (Burt) was on."

John VanLoy isn't too worried.

"(Burt) kept us off-balance today," he said. "She moved the ball around well. We haven't been hitting the ball strong yet. Our bats are still a little light, but it's coming."

Wabasso will play at Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Thursday. MVL will host Buffalo Lake-Hector in a doubleheader Thursday.

Wabasso 100 200 1--4 3 1

MVL 000 000 0--0 2 7

Jen.VanLoy and Jes.VanLoy. Burt and Braam. W--Jen.VanLoy 8-1. L--Burt 3-6. HRs--None.