Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Payton Richtsmeier (6) makes a running catch in left field during the first game of a doubleheader against Wabasso Thursday at MVL.

NEW ULM — Minnesota Valley Lutheran and Wabasso split a Tomahawk Conference softball doubleheader on Thursday. MVL won the first game 9-3 but lost Game 2 by a score of 8-4.

Cora Eichten reached on an error for Wabasso. Eichten scored on a Megan Rothmeier double for a 1-0 Rabbit lead in the bottom of the first inning in Game 2.

Eichten smashed a Stephanie Dalueg offering to the left field fence for a double in the third inning. Eichten scored later on a passed ball by the MVL catcher for a 2-0 Rabbit advantage.

Jenna Frank cracked a double to right field. Frank scored on an MVL error, making it 3-0 Wabasso.

Kelsey Frank reached on another Charger error. Avery Carlson reached on another error which resulted in Kelsey Frank scoring Wabasso’s fourth run of the game.

Grace Bauer reached on a Rabbit error in the bottom of the fourth inning. She went to second when Morgan Paulsen walked. Bauer scored on another Wabasso error for a 4-1 Wabasso lead.

Wabasso’s defense turned the tide of the contest. A Rabbit defender threw the ball to home plate to throw out an MVL runner trying to score. Wabasso’s catcher gunned down an MVL runner who tried to advance to second on the play.

“That double play in Game 2 turned the momentum,” MVL head coach Barb Leopold said. “We were inconsistent today.”

Wabasso answered with a Baily Hastings triple down the right field line. The softball rolled to the fence. Hastings scored on a sacrifice by Sarah Franta. It was 5-1 Wabasso after four innings.

MVL’s Grace Paulsen drew a walk in the fifth inning. She scored later on a Bauer hit for a 5-3 Wabasso lead.

Emma Rodewald became MVL’s pitcher in the fifth inning. Kelsey Frank reached on an error, moved to second on another error, stole third and she scored on a Rodewald wild ptich. Things did not go well for Rodewald. She walked four consective Rabbits in a row.

Jenna Vick, Hastings, Halle Huhnerkoch and Sarah Franta all walked. Vick scored on Franta’s walk and Hastings scored on an MVL error for Wabasso’s final run.

Dalueg returned to the circle and she was able to get Rothmeier to hit the ball to her to toss her out at first base for the last out.

Cheyenne Blackwell cracked a single to left field, she stole second base and she went to third on a sacrifice and she scored on a sacrifice for the 8-4 final.

In Game 1, MVL scored three quick runs in the first inning and second inning, and it never looked back. The Chargers scored a run in the fourth and two in the the fifth for the win. Wabasso scored one run in the fifth and two runs in the seventh.

“We’ve had trouble with getting off to a slow start in our games,” Wabasso head coach Tiffany Eichten said. “We dug ourselves into a hole early. Today, the light went on for us in the fourth inning of the first game and we figured it out from there.”

Sarah Franta took the loss for Wabasso in Game 1. She went six innings, gave up nine runs (one earned), on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Franta was the winning pitcher in Game 2. She pitched six innings, gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, with two walks and one strikeout.

Stephanie Dalueg was the winning pitcher in Game 1. She went seven innings, gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Dalueg took the loss in Game 2 going 5 1/3 innings, giving up five hits on five runs with a strkeout and a walk.

Morgan Paulsen had three total hits for MVL on Thursday, while Wabasso was led by Jenna Frank with three total hits.

Wabasso (4-6) will host Redwood Valley/Comfrey on Saturday. MVL will host Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart on Tuesday.