Staff photo by Travis Rosenau
New Ulm Cathedral’s Ava Brennan rounds third during a Section 2A softball playoff game against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Thursday at Harman Park in New Ulm.
NEW ULM — An early scare from ninth-seeded Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove was a reminder for the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds not to take anyone lightly in the Section 2A Softball Tournament.
After the Falcons swooped in to tie the game at 3-all in the third inning, the top-seeded Greyhounds responded late with a seven-run sixth inning to help pull away with a 12-4 win in the second round of playoffs at Harman Park.
“I think it’s a good reminder that nobody is guaranteed to win a game,” Cathedral head coach Jamie Kuehn said. “And that we need to always be on top of what we know we can do best, which is put the ball in play and make the plays on defense when we need to.”
The Greyhounds (20-1) move on to a 10 a.m. winner’s bracket game against fourth-seeded Springfield Saturday at Caswell Park on Field 1. RRC/WWG (8-12) falls into the elimination bracket and will play Sleepy Eye at 10 a.m. Saturday at Caswell Park on Field 3.
Jayde Altermatt got the win in seven innings, striking out 11 while allowing seven hits and four walks for two earned runs.
Kiah Helget led the Greyhounds at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. She also drew two walks.
Ava Brennan was 2 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored also for Cathedral, while Jenna Hotovec had a two-run homer in the first to put Cathedral up 3-0. Before that homer, Helget singled in Brennan, who reached on a lead-off error.
RRC/WWG pitcher Addeson Jenniges took the loss in five innings, allowing eight hits and five walks while striking out two. She was also 2 for 4 with an RBI at the plate, while Natasha Wahl was 2 for 3.
RRC/WWG got a run back in the second on an RBI bloop single by Addeson Jenniges and tied it in the third in an inning where Altermatt had some early trouble finding the zone. Altermatt gave up an infield single to Natasha Wall before walking Natalie Wahl and Mercedes Myers to load the bases.
After a chopper in front of the plate off the bat of Ella Knakmuhs, Altermatt got the force out at home for the first out, but a throwing error to first on an attempt to turn two led to two runs scoring for a 3-3 tie.
RRC/WWG returned the favor in the third on a throwing error that scored Brennan, who doubled to lead off. The Greyhounds got another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Margo Finstad to lead 5-3.
RRC/WWG got a run back in the sixth on an error before the Greyhounds batted around in the sixth, sending seven more runners across the plate. That inning was highlighted with a Jaylin Hartness two-run double.
“I think we started being more patient with our at-bats and this pitcher probably had the most movement on her pitches we’ve seen all year, so we kind of caught up to that and were able to adjust, make those adjustments that we needed to be able to get those hits and capitalize on the opportunities that we were given.”
