NEW ULM — Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s and Minnesota Valley Lutheran opened a Tomahawk Conference softball doubleheader at MVL High School on Thursday with more than enough runs.

With both teams crossing the plate a total of 37 times in Game 1, it was the Knights that eked out a win in Game 1 by a score of 20-17.

The scoring continued in Game 2, but it was more one-sided as the Knights rolled to a 20-4 victory in four innings. The game ended in the bottom of the fourth due to the 15-run lead rule.

Both teams fought the strong wind and a less-than-ideal playing surface which resulted in a high number of runs scored

Walks, hit batters, wild pitches and errors also played a role in both teams scoring runs.

In a marathon Game 1, Taylor Mathiowetz singled in the top of the first inning to get things going. She later scored on Alexa Pelzel’s single.

Reese Hoffmann reached base and she scored St. Mary’s second run on Sidney Tauer’s sacrifice. Addie Hoffmann walked and she later scored on a wild pitch.

MacKenna Dressel got a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and later scored on an error, which made it 3-1 for St. Mary’s. Karlee Prahl reached base and she scored several plays later on an error.

MVL exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the second. Jess Meunier hit a stand-up double to center field and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3.

Taylor Gunderson was hit by a pitch. She eventually scored the go-ahead run for MVL on Prahl’s double, which made it 4-3.

MVL sent a total of 15 batters to the plate and it added an additional seven runs for an 11-3 advantage.

St. Mary’s answered with six runs of its own in the top of the third. Ten batters stepped the plate and chipped away at MVL’s lead. Mathiowetz got a two-out triple which brought in three of the six runs. MVL clung to an 11-9 lead.

Kailey Nelson walked with two outs in the top of the fourth. Nelson worked the count to 3-2 and then took ball four. Jasmine Petermann brought Nelson home on a double to center field which made 11-10 MVL.

Gunderson got an leadoff single in the bottom of the inning and Katlyn Stadick walked. Henderson’s double to center field scored Gunderson and Stadick, and Dressel walked and scored on Ashlyn Rodewald’s single. Henderson scored on a sacrifice which was MVL’s fourth run of the inning. The score was 15-10.

In the top of the fifth, the Knights scored two runs on two hits. One of the hits was a double by Addie Hoffmann.

St. Mary’s took advantage of several costly errors by MVL in the top of the sixth. Addie Hoffmann reached on an error and she scored on another error which tied it at 15-15. Courtesy runner Eva Schweiss scored the go-ahead run for St. Mary’s for a 16-15 lead. A double gave it two more runs, which made it 19-15 St. Mary’s.

In the top of the seventh inning, Mathiowetz reached on an error. She stole second and third and she scored on a sacrifice by Tauer for a 20-15 Knight’s lead.

MVL wasn’t going to go down without a fight. In the seventh inning, it scored two runs. Meunier walked with one out. She scored on Henderson’s walk. Gunderson was hit by a pitch and she scored later on Prahl’s two-out single. With the bases loaded, the St. Mary’s defense was able to hold off MVL for the win.

Stadick took the loss in Game 1, allowing 19 hits and eight walks for 13 earned runs while striking out two. Prahl was 3 for 5 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored, while Henderson was 1 for 2 with four walks, four RBIs and two runs scored. Gunderson was 2 for 3 with an RBI and four runs scored in Game 1 also.

In Game 2, Pelzel doubled and had three RBIs to lead the Knights, while Nell Weiss and Tauer each went 1 for 2 with three RBIs apiece. Zarn got the Game 2 win, striking out three while walking two and allowing four hits.

MVL was led in Game 2 by Grace Onken, who was 2 for 2 with a double, while Henderson added a double and Prahl drew three walks.

MVL (2-7, 1-6) is at Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop for a 5 p.m. game Monday.

St. Mary’s (4-4, 4-4) hosts Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart at 5 p.m. Monday.