Greyhounds oust MVL

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Again it was the little things.

All season long, the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds have won games by doing the little things. It was no different Monday in the first round of the Section 2-1A, West Subsection softball tournament.

All season long, the resurgent Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers have hurt themselves, often by not doing the little things. It was no different Monday at North Park.

The Chargers' four errors gave Cathedral six unearned runs as the Greyhounds advanced past MVL 10-4. Cathedral will meet Mankato Loyola in the second round at 5 p.m. today in St. Peter.

"They've hurt themselves every game," Cathedral coach Bob Mertz said. "They gave us three runs in the first game, six runs the last game. They thought if they could cut some of those errors and then get a lead, it could be a big game."

But the Chargers (8-13) could not.

"There were some big costly errors again for us today," MVL coach Jim Buboltz said. "That's really been our season -- when we play well, we can play with any team in our conference. But when we boot the ball around, it's really hard for us to come back."

Buboltz could take some solace from this -- despite how poorly the Chargers played, they were never out of this game, nor the previous two against Cathedral (17-4). And the Chargers did hit the ball hard, and well; MVL had nine hits -- the same number as the Greyhounds.

Mertz knew this MVL team was not the Chargers of the last several years.

"I was telling (my players) before the game, 'They've got eight wins,'" Mertz said. "'They've got more wins than they've had in a long time, so their season has kind of been made. Let's not put some icing on the cake and really make them have a great season."

It may well have been, if not for the little things.

Little thing No. 1 -- In the bottom of the first inning, after Kristin Beranek led off the game with an infield single, the Chargers committed back-to-back errors that cost them two runs. First, Kari Franta reached on a throwing error by Melissa Meyer at shortstop. Then, on what should have been a routine single by Dee Wilfahrt, MVL left fielder Becky Bruns overran the ball and the resulting three-base error allowed Wilfahrt to score after Beranek and Franta.

Little thing No. 2 -- In the bottom of the fourth, Chandra Petersen walked with one out. Tessa Hodapp followed with a grounder to Kim Heldt. The Chargers' third baseman's throw was in the dirt and rolled to the fence in foul territory, resulting in Peterson scoring for a 4-1 Cathedral lead. Liesl Genelin reached on a fielder's choice that would have been the third out, and a batter later, Nikki Fischer lined a two-RBI single to left and the Greyhounds led 6-1.

LIttle thing No. 3 -- Franta and Wilfahrt led off the fifth with consecutive singles -- bloop singles that fell just in front of MVL outfielders. The next batter, Abby Hofmeister, lined out to Meyer. Had that been the third out, Petersen couldn't have brought in Franta with a squeeze bunt and Hodapp would not have doubled to right, scoring Wilfahrt.

On the cold and blustery afternoon, two Greyhound hitters were hot -- Fischer and Wilfahrt.

"At first, the cold did bother me, but then I got used to it after awhile," said Fischer, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. "It helps going up against a pitcher you know real well."

Jennie Burt (7-10) took the loss for MVL, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. Burt was also the losing pitcher in the Chargers' two previous games with the Greyhounds.

Wilfahrt, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI at the plate, had an unspectacular day as a pitcher. Wilfahrt (12-3) went six innings and surrendered four runs -- one earned -- on nine hits. Julie Seifert pitched the seventh and gave the Chargers a pair of baserunners, but the threat did not come to fruition.

"I don't know really what it was," Wilfahrt said.

MVL was led by Janelle Fischer, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Two other Chargers -- Meyer and Danielle Hammerschmidt -- also had two hits.

"Dee wasn't her sharpest tonight, I'm sure she'd tell you that," Mertz said. "You could tell she wasn't throwing as hard as she usually does. She didn't have the snap."

And turnabout is fair play. The Chargers figured out Wilfahrt, just as the Greyhounds figured out Burt, in the third game between the teams.

"I told (Wilfahrt) after the first inning, 'They're going to score some runs, We're going to score some runs,'" Mertz said. "The wind just makes it that much different."

Despite the season-ending loss, there were still smiles among the Chargers.

"I'm so pleased with the steps that we've taken," Buboltz said. "We made some huge strides an we've got some young girls that are willing to put some time into it in the future. We're going to keep making those strides and we're going to be able to compete with the upper echelon of our conference."

MVL 100 021 0-- 4 9 4

Cathedral 300 430 x--10 9 3

Burt and Braam. Wilfahrt, Seifert (7) and Balbach, Hofmeister (7). W--Wilfahrt 12-3. L--Burt 7-10. HRs--None.