Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Laura Bertrang connects for a triple during the Eagles’ softball game with St. Peter on Tuesday at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — Although New Ulm put together some nice offense in the middle innings of Tuesday’s Big South Conference softball game with St. Peter, the Saints’ offense was too much to overcome in the end as the Eagles fell 17-7.

It was the first loss in the conference for New Ulm this season, while St. Peter continued its perfect record in the conference at 9-0.

Miranda Suess took the loss for the Eagles (6-4, 4-1) in 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing 12 hits and three walks while striking out two.

The Eagles were led by Emma Brudelie, who was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Ella Friederich also was 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Maddie O’Conner was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Laura Bertrang added a triple for New Ulm and scored two runs.

Maya Pettis got the win in the circle for St. Peter (10-3, 9-0), giving up eight hits and four walks while fanning five.

Lauren Niemeyer led the St. Peter offense, going 5 for 5 with a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored. McKenna Van Zee also had five hits for the Saints, all singles, and added a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.

The Saints got things going in the third inning, getting four consecutive RBI singles with two outs to jump on the Eagles. Karson Schmid then entered in relief for New Ulm, but the Saints continued to rake in the hits and ended the 12-hit inning up 12-0. Suess re-entered the circle in the following inning.

The Eagles did answer in the bottom half of the third, cutting their deficit in half after a six-run output. In the inning, O’Connor had an RBI single, Brudelie had a two-run single, Suess had an RBI single, Friederich had an RBI single and Gracie Linbo drew a walk for an RBI.

The Saints got a run back in the fourth after an RBI single by Elle Davis, but the Eagles got that run back in the bottom of the fourth after Brudelie singled in Bertrang, who tripled to right in the at-bat before.

That was the final run the Eagles were able to score, though, as St. Peter added two runs in the sixth and a two-run homer in the seventh off the bat of Niemeyer to lead to the final score.

New Ulm is at Waseca on Thursday for another conference game.