Cathedral wins state trip
News of New Ulm from 50 years ago
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There is no keener sports rivalry than Sleepy Eye St. Mary's versus New Ulm Cathedral and the two hooked up in a classic baseball battle here Tuesday night with Cathedral winning 2-1.
It marked the fourth time Cathedral beat the Knights this season but all four were close battles: 3-1, 2-1 and 4-2 before the 2-1 finale.
It also means Cathedral wins the Region Five independent tournament and gains its 15th state tourney trip since 1946 and the fourth in the last six years. (A check with the state office again Tuesday revealed that Cathedral is in Region Five, not Six as given out by that office last week).
Cathedral takes an unbeaten mark of 20-0 into the state tourney. The 20 wins is a school record, topping the previous high of 16 last year.
In the past four seasons,Cathedral has won 64 games while losing only 8. Several of the six seniors were varsity regulars all four years. The season marks were 14-2 as freshmen, 14-3 as sophomores and 16-3 as juniors.
Cathedral will meet Mayer Lutheran in the second night game Friday at Belle Plaine. Crookston Cathedral meets Austin Pacelli (12-3) at 5 p.m., followed by New Ulm-Mayer around 7 p.m. or 20 minutes after the first game.
In the afternoon games, Cretin plays Hill-Murray at noon, followed by Blake of Hopkins versus De LaSalle.
Semifinal games are 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday. If Cathedral wins Friday, it will play the 3:30 game Saturday. Title game is a week later, 1 p.m. June 2.
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FOR A WHILE, it looked like the game would go a long night without any scoring. Then Cathedral exploded for two quick runs in the last of the third. After two outs, George Weier singled and stole second. Sam Clyne lined a drive down the opposite right field line for three bases, scoring Weier easily. Then pitcher Mike Wilfahrt drove in what proved to be the winning run with single down the same line. Cathedral got runners to third in the fourth and sixth innings, but nothing materialized.
Mike Wilfahrt had the Knights blanked for five innings on one hit, a double by Jay Miller in the fifth.
With one out in the sixth, Mark Seidl was hit by a pitch and Myron Seidl had life on a throwing error, putting runners on first and third. Nelson Ladd lofted a high fly to center that was lost in the twilight haze and the ball fell safely for a hit, scoring Mark.
Portner more than made amends on the next play. Jay Miller apparently singled up the middle but the charging shortstop Clyne fielded the ball and whipped a throw to second, forcing the runner coming from first base for the second out.
Another super defensive play followed. Mike Helget grounded to the third baseman and the throw bounced in front of the base. First baseman Tom Gareis fielded the ball on a long hop and then held it as the batter-runner crashed into him. Had Gareis not made the big play, the tying run would have scored from third.
"We've never given up two runs in any inning this year," said a relieved CHS Coach Stan Wilfahrt after the game in discussing the big play at first base. In 20 games, pitchers Mike Wilfahrt and Clyne have given up just 15 runs while the team has scored 120.
Cathedral had seven hits to two for St. Mary's. Wilfahrt had 11 strikeouts, including the side in the last inning. Loser Jim Guldan fanned eight. The Knights (8-7) played errorless ball in both regional games.
There were 790 paid fans for one of the largest baseball crowds at Johnson Park in many years.
New Ulm Daily Journal, May 23, 1973