The game ended in the fifth inning due to the 10-run lead rule, which the Eagles were able to help secure with a six-run bottom of the fourth.

Meanwhile, Hopp was wheeling and dealing as she got 14 of her 15 outs by strikeout. The only blemish on the day for her was when she issued a leadoff walk in the fifth.

Hopp struck out the side in the first, third and fourth innings.

“They just kind of piggy-backed off of one another,” Hopp said of her strikeouts. “You just build up abd build up and build up and then eventually get comfortable with your sequences, and then it feels really good when you get that final strikeout.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Kenzie Enter steals second safely during a Big South Conference softball game with Waseca on Thursday at New Ulm High School.

After Hopp punched out the first three batters she saw, the Eagles got their offense going right away with a leadoff triple to center by Maddie Backer. An RBI single up the middle by Kenzie Enter brought home Backer and made it 1-0. Enter swiped second and took third on a wild pitch with one out in the inning before Lauren Schmiesing dropped down a perfect bunt to reach safely with a single while scoring Enter. Berkley Wilfahrt reached on a dropped third strike and took second before Miley Flor was hit by a pitch. A sac fly off the bat of Mya Hornick made it 3-0 before an RBI single from Bridgette Roiger put New Ulm up 4-0 after one.

Both teams exchanged 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, with Bluejays shortstop Avery Barto staying busy in those innings with five assists. For New Ulm during that time, Hopp had five strikeouts and got the other out on a grounder hit to her and thrown to first baseman Roiger for the out.

The Eagles broke it open in the fourth, getting a leadoff single by Hornick, who quickly stole second. After a groundout sent Hornick to third, a dropped third strike allowed Gracie Baker to take first and second while Hornick took home. Backer, who went 2 for 3 on the day, then singled in Baker and stole second and third.

Enter, who also went 2 for 3 at the plate, singled in Backer for a 7-0 lead. Enter also swiped second and third while Hopp and Lauren Schmiesing got hit by pitches in back-to-back plate appearances to load the bases. Hadley Batt entered to courtesy run for Hopp before Wilfahrt doubled in all three runners on base to make it 10-0.

Waseca pitcher Hannah Sommers took the loss, going 3 1/3 innings and allowing all 10 runs earned on seven hits while striking out three. Sommer exited the circle in the fourth after hitting Hopp and Schmiesing and was relieved by Ellery Waldron.

Sommers was patient at the plate in the fifth and spoiled the Eagles’ perfect game hopes with a walk. Hopp fell behind 3-0 in the count before making it 3-2, but her last pitch in the at-bat was just a bit low. Quick to readjust, Hopp struck out the next three batters to finish the game early.

The Eagles undefeated start on the season now has them ranked second in Class AAA behind Mankato East, but Hopp said there’s more work to be done.

“I feel like it’s good to get that recognition,” Hopp said. “And I feel like we’re building and building up to that recognition, but I also think that you still have to beat everybody. So, No. 1 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed, it’s just a number. You’ve still gotta beat everybody.”

New Ulm, now 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big South, are at St. Peter for another conference game Friday. Waseca (2-6, 0-5) hosts Marshall in a conference doubleheader Saturday.