Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm shortstop Lauren Schmiesing throws to first to complete a double play during a Big South Conference softball game against Belle Plaine on Tuesday at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — Locked in a pitchers’ duel with Belle Plaine’s Kyla Skluzacek, New Ulm’s Ramsey Hopp took it upon herself to get the breakthrough hit her team needed in the third inning.

After Kenzie Enter collected a two-out single to right field and a pair of stolen bases, Hopp blooped a single of her own down the line in right to score Enter and put the Eagles up 1-0. That was all New Ulm got for runs, but it was all they needed as Hopp and her defense were dialed in on the way to a 1-0 win in a Big South Conference softball game at New Ulm High School.

The win snapped a two-game losing skid for New Ulm and moved it to 8-2 on the year overall and 6-1 in the conference. Belle Plaine fell 8-5 on the year overall and 4-3 in the Big South.

New Ulm fell 3-2 in St. Peter this past Friday and then dropped a nonconference game at Mankato West on Monday 7-3.

“In our St. Peter game, we just emotionally and mentally were checked out on that one,” Eagles head coach Kristi Andersen Loose said. “We didn’t turn it on until the fifth inning. The Mankato West game, the goal was to basically turn our emotional energy and just checking in mentally and being present and focused, and they were, they did a beautiful job as far as being involved and supportive and having that energy back. Energy was fantastic in that West game, but we had six errors. We gave them two extra innings of offense, which you cant give a team like West two extra innings on offense or they’re going to take the game from you.”

Andersen Loose said that despite not seeing the play and energy she knows her team is capable of against St. Peter and Mankato West, Tuesday was a step in the right direction.

“The New Ulm Eagles that we will be by the end of the year were not present for those games,” she said. “This was a step in right direction, we weren’t completely back yet, but it was better than [Monday], and that’s all that we’re going to ask to do. As long as they can keep showing up and being better than yesterday, we’ll be in the right spot at the end of the year.”

In keeping Belle Plaine batters honest, Hopp had a new catcher behind home plate in sophomore Gracie Baker. Baker has been playing at third base, but Berkley Wilfahrt moved back to third Tuesday after playing all of last season at third.

Baker said her first varsity start behind the plate was exciting and it’s a position she’s not shy to play.

“I’ve always loved catching and that’s been by number one spot for a long time,” Baker said. “Obviously, I can play third for them here when they need me, but I love catching, so it was fun and it’s exciting to go [catch].”

Hopp only allowed four hits in the game, but Baker handled her duties behind the plate well and caught 12 Hopp strikeouts. Hopp also walked just one batter in her complete game, the walking coming in the seventh inning to lead off. A shallow pop up off the bat of Landry Kelm after that walk, however, dropped into right in front of right fielder Mya Hornick, who quickly grabbed it and threw to second for a force out for out No. 1.

Hopp then got a strikeout before Alaina Johnston hit a deep fly ball to center fielder Maddie Backer, who got under it and secured the grab to finish the game.

Rachel Johnson was 2 for 3 with a double to lead the Belle Plaine bats, while Ada Geisler was 2 for 2 with a walk. Skluzacek ended up pitching six innings and allowing

Enter finished 1 for 3 with her two stolen bases and run scored in the third, while Hopp was 1 for 3 with what ended up being the game-winning RBI. Bridgette Roiger also had a single in the fifth inning for New Ulm.

Erasing back-to-black blemishes on their record with a win over a good Big South opponent was a positive for the Eagles Tuesday, but Baker said the team can’t get too relaxed going forward.

“Definitely confident, but we know we can’t let up against the next hard team we face,” Baker said.

The Eagles are at Worthington on Thursday for another conference game before traveling to Caswell Park for an eight-team Mankato East Tournament, with two games scheduled for Friday and one Saturday.