Greyhounds rally, advance

Cathedral defeats Loyola, MLBO, will face Knights in championship

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

MANKATO -- New Ulm Cathedral knew that if it could get by Loyola in the first game Tuesday, the Greyhounds would be right where they wanted to be.

Cathedral came back from a 3-0 deficit and rallied to beat Loyola 4-3 in nine innings in the first game, then used ace Dusty Wilfahrt to avenge an earlier loss to Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 4-0 to advance to the Section 2A championship game at Franklin Rogers Park.

The Greyhounds (16-9) now face Sleepy Eye St. Mary's for the title game and they must beat the Knights twice to advance to the state tournament.

St. Mary's is the defending Class A state champion.

"Our defense really pulled through, and I was just trying to throw strikes all game," Wilfahrt said. "They just couldn't hit it like they did in the first game."

The Greyhounds lost 5-4 earlier in the winners bracket to the Wolverines, and revenge was certainly on the minds of Cathedral as they took a 1-0 lead over MLBO in the first inning after Jeff Schnobrich scored on Mitch Palmer's single to center.

"We really won the game that mattered," Wilfahrt said. "We were ready to go [in the second game]." Wilfahrt struck out 12 and got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with one out.

"I tightened up again, just like I did against Springfield in the seventh inning, but I worked through it," Wilfahrt said.

Cathedral scored another run in the top of the third after Schnobrich singled and stole second. He scored after Mitch Palmer struck out but reached first safely due to a passed ball.

Adam Prochniak gave the Greyhounds a 3-0 lead when he doubled with one out in the fifth. He scored on another passed ball by MLBO reliever Mark DeYounge, who relieved Mitchell Schroeder.

Schroeder lasted 4 1/3 innings, striking out four.

Wilfahrt helped his own cause in the sixth when he held his own end of the deal on the suicide squeeze, allowing Andy Boyle to score.

Wilfahrt got the first out in the seventh, walked the bases loaded before a strikeout and a groundout ended the game. MLBO ended its season at 14-8.

In the first game, Loyola led 3-0 in the fifth inning before the Greyhounds rallied in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs.

Prochniak singled and later scored when Scott Knisely hit a grounder to short that was booted. Andy Boyle continued his postseason production in the No. 9 spot with a single that scored Knisely and Eric Portner to tie it up.

"We played the first four innings of that Loyola game like we've been playing the last couple of playoff games," Cathedral coach Bob Weier said. "We struggled at the plate and our pitchers are throwing well, which was keeping us in the ballgame. But our offense was struggling to take advantage of the situations."

Palmer led off the ninth inning with a single and advanced to third after Loyola catcher Steven Helget fired a throw over first baseman Trey Altenhofen's head on Adam Neubauer's bunt.

With runners on second and third, Knisely laced a single to right, scoring Palmer for the 4-3 win. Josh Sabatino got the win after he came on in the seventh inning in relief of Neubauer. Neubauer struck out six and Sabatino struck out one, retiring nine of the 11 batters he faced.

Cathedral plays St. Mary's in the Section 2A championship game at 5 p.m. Thursday at Franklin Rogers Park. If needed, a second game will be played at 7:30 p.m.