Greyhounds blank MVL

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Monday's Tomahawk Conference game between New Ulm Cathedral and Minnesota Valley Lutheran was a preview of the teams' matchup May 21 in the first round of the Section 2-1A, West Subsection softball playoffs.

For the Chargers, it was the trailer to an awful movie they hope they never see.

Class 1A No. 5 Cathedral needed only six hits to top MVL 6-0. Eight Charger errors helped the Greyhounds; none of the Cathedral runs were earned.

"We did a lot of little things right," Cathedral coach Bob Mertz said. "And we took advantage of situations. ... We're really playing well. We're capitalizing on the mistakes -- what they give us, we take."

Frustrated is a word that just does not adequately describe MVL coach Jim Buboltz.

"I felt we started the game off rather aggressively," Buboltz said. "But errors on top of errors just equals frustration right now."

And it might have been very different. MVL (5-11, 3-9 Tomahawk) had two baserunners in the top of the first inning.

Neither one scored. And the Chargers wouldn't get another chance the rest of the game -- Cathedral senior right-hander Dee Wilfahrt settled down after her unsettled first-inning. Wilfahrt (10-2) retired the Chargers in order in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.

"I was getting used to the heat," said Wilfahrt, who struck out five and walked one. "It bothered me a lot at the start of the game. I'm not used to it right away, I guess."

After their promising start, the Chargers wilted in the afternoon sun. The Chargers' luck didn't get any better when Amber Franta came out for the sixth.

She retired the last six MVL batters in order, striking out three.

Wilfahrt, who is scheduled to start both games of a doubleheader with McLeod West in Brownton today, had no problem with relinquishing the rubber to Franta.

"It was fine with me," Wilfahrt said. "I want to be ready for (tomorrow's doubleheader), so I didn't mind."

While the Chargers were suffering defensive lapses, Cathedral (13-3, 13-0) was flawless. And offensively, the opportunistic Greyhounds took advantage of the Chargers.

Junior Kristin Beranek, who went 2-for-3 and scored three runs, got Cathedral started by walking and later scoring on MVL's first error. It wasn't a great start by the Chargers, but the Chargers still had life.

Then it all went wrong.

The Greyhounds got four runs in the second off Jennie Burt (4-8) aided by four MVL errors. Jessica Lewis keyed the inning with a two-RBI double to left-center. Beranek and Nikki Fischer, who went 2-for-3 and scored a run, also hit safely for the Greyhounds.

"It went very well," Fischer said. "At the beginning of the game, I didn't feel very confident, but after awhile I started feeling more confident about myself and my teammates."

The second inning did wonders for Fischer's confidence. The sixth didn't hurt it any.

Fischer led off the inning with another single. She got erased trying to steal second, but Beranek reached on an error and scored on two more MVL errors -- stealing second, the low throw from went into center field where it rattled around long enough for Beranek to scamper home.

"We competed here today," Buboltz said. "You just cannot make mistakes against Cathedral. They just make you pay for it, and they did again today."

And the lesson the Chargers will take to the subsection game against the Greyhounds in just six days?

"You've got to be solid and know what you're doing defensively," Buboltz said. "You can't be prepared for just one or two situations. You have to be prepared for all the situations because they will play the total game."

Mertz, for his part, isn't ready to concentrate on a subsection game.

"We've got a lot of work this week," he said. "We've got to win the Tomahawk, that's our goal. ... We don't want to look too far ahead to MVL."

MVL will host a doubleheader with Springfield/Cedar Mountain/Comfrey today.

In the junior varsity game, Cathedral won 6-2. Ashley Hillesheim went the distance for the win, allowing two hits and striking out nine.

Melissa Kraus had a double and two RBI for the Greyhounds and teammate Julie Seifert added a double and an RBI.

MVL 000 000 0--0 1 8

Cathedral 140 001 x--6 6 0

Burt and Braam, Panitzke (3). Wilfahrt, A.Franta (6) and Balbach. W--Wilfahrt 10-2. L--Burt 4-8. HRs--None.