By Tyler Aukrust
Journal Sports Writer
NEW ULM - Before the baseball season began for New Ulm Cathedral, the question was who was going to step up and be the ace.
Article Photos
Staff photo by Steve Muscatello
Minnesota Valley Lutheran catcher Dan Reinke tags out New Ulm Cathedral’s Josh Kienlen Thursday at Johnson Park in New Ulm.
For more photos of this event go to cu.nujournal.com
That question may have been answered Thursday afternoon.
Ben Wolf pitched five innings allowing just one hit as the Greyhounds shut out cross-town rival Minnesota Valley Lutheran 4-0 in Tomahawk Conference baseball.
"I like the shutout" Cathedral head coach Bob Weier said. "We played good defense again - our pitchers threw strikes. We made the routine plays and that's what you have to do."
Cathedral wasted no time putting runs on the board. Jordan Guggisberg hit a lead off double and advanced to third after Wolf reached second base on a throwing error. Clean-up hitter Erich Prokosch came up with one out and ripped a triple to left field putting the Greyhounds up 2-0 early on.
"With the bats the way they are I think it's really important to score first," Weier said. "I think as the games unravel that's important."
MVL's lone hit came with one out in the bottom of the second inning when Michael Martens lined a single to left center, but was later picked off first base by Wolf.
Nate Schoenherr was on the mound for the Chargers going four innings and allowing four runs on five hits. Justin Bruns relieved him and allowed just two hits in three innings of work.
Schoenherr recorded two quick outs in the third inning, however he then ran into a bit of trouble. A bloop single from Drew Pfaff and then a walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases and set-up a two-run single by Jory Dove to put the Greyhounds up 4-0.
Bruns ran into a jam in the sixth after he walked Pfaff to load the bases with one out and Prokosch on. He rung up Prokosch looking and then got Dan Blackstad to fly out to left to keep the Chargers in the game.
Martens drew a walk to lead off the seventh, but then got doubled up after Ethan Silfies lined out to Dove at third base and Cathedral held on for the shutout.
The Chargers committed four errors in the game along with a few mental errors as well. Head coach Jeff Schoenherr said his team has things to work on, however he is still very pleased with his team's pitching.
"For the most part I'm happy with our pitching," Schoenherr said. "We just need a little more help from our defense especially against a team like Cathedral. We can't keep giving them free bases like that and we need to help out our pitchers."
For Weier, he was just happy to get another Tomahawk Conference victory.
"We were 1-1, there was a possibility coming out of this thing 1-2 so you need to win these conference games," he said. "It's nice being 2-1 at this point."
Cathedral will play a doubleheader against United South Central in Wells on Saturday while MVL (1-2) will take on Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart on Monday.