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Pautzke, Greyhounds sweep Sleepy Eye

Staff photo by Steve Muscatello New Ulm Cathedral left fielder Megan Haala makes a running catch during the first game of a doubleheader against Sleepy Eye Friday at Harman Park in New Ulm.

NEW ULM — The first game of Friday’s Tomahawk Conference softball doubleheader between New Ulm Cathedral and Sleepy Eye featured a pitchers’ duel between Cathedral’s Josie Pautzke and Sleepy Eye’s Kathryn Schroepfer.

While Pautzke won that battle with a narrow 2-0 win for the Greyhounds (12-2, 9-1) in Game 1, Game 2 saw the Greyhounds heat up on offense and end the day with a 7-2 win to sweep the Indians (9-6, 7-5) at Harman Park.

Pautzke allowed five hits and no walks while striking out three in seven innings of the first game, while Schroepfer took the loss in six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

In Game 1, while the Indians were first in the hit column after a pair of singles in the top of second inning by Brynja Mielke and Martina Nienhaus, the Greyhounds responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run for a 1-0 lead. In that inning, Abby Beranek doubled with two outs before Shay Ubl drove her in on a single to right-center field.

The Greyhounds got their final run of the game in the fifth inning after Lily Franta lined a leadoff base hit into center field and later scored on a wild pitch.

Heidi Hoffman and Emily Schommer added the other pair of base hits for Cathedral in Game 1. Sleepy Eye was led at the plate in Game 1 by Schroepfer, who went 2 for 3 with a double, while Sandy Flores added the other Sleepy Eye hit, a single into left.

In Game 2, Pautzke picked up another complete-game win, allowing just two hits and two runs with a pair of strikeouts.

Schroepfer took the loss, allowing five walks and 12 hits while striking out five.

The Greyhounds started the second game of the day with more fire than the first game, scoring four runs in the first inning and three more in the second for an early lead that they never relinquished. Beranek had a big second game, going 4 for 4 with two RBIs, while Lauryn Franta was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Hoffman and Lily Franta also each went 2 for 4 for Cathedral in Game 2.

Jaclyn Nessett was 2 for 3 to lead Sleepy Eye in Game 2.

Cathedral head coach Jamie Portner was happy with how her team loosened up and brought a better offensive attack early on in second game of the day, making things easier for Pautzke and her defense.

“I think we loosened up for the second game,” Portner said. “I think we did a better job of hitting the second game. The first game, I think, we were a little tight and so the second game, we just waited for our pitch and took advantage of errors.”

Cathedral hosts Springfield on Tuesday, while Sleepy Eye hosts MVL Tuesday.

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