Finstad, who threw 101 pitches in his complete-game performance Thursday night, scattered five hits and struck out 10 as New Ulm Cathedral downed Cleveland 6-2 at Johnson Park in the Tomahawk-Valley Conference Baseball Championship game.

Miles Tomaszewski took the loss for the Clippers (13-4). He went five innings and was charged with six runs on six hits. He fanned six.

Finstad used his bat to collect three hits, including a triple, while scoring two runs.

“Jake did a really nice job for us in both facets of the game,” Cathedral head coach Alan Woitas said. “He had three hits and he sparked us there. He scored our first run in the fifth inning and then he sparked us in the fifth inning when we put up four runs. They got the one run early and then he was really effective after that.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Cathedral’s Alex Portner slides into third Thursday during the Tomahawk-Valley Conference Baseball Championship game against Cleveland at Johnson Park.

Cleveland took a 1-0 lead off of the right-handed Finstad in the top of the first when Carson Lyons singled and came around to score on a Caleb Connor triple.

The Greyhounds, who host JWP at 5 p.m. Friday at Johnson Park, quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Finstad led off with a single. He stole second and took third on a passed ball.

An Elliot Schabert opposite-field single to left plated Finstad.

The score remained tied at 1-1 going into the fifth inning when the Clippers mounted a threat to break the tie.

Kale Kelly led off the inning with a triple.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Cathedral’s Caleb Forstner tries to avoid a tag at home Thursday during the Tomahawk-Valley Conference Baseball Championship game against Cleveland at Johnson Park.

But Finstad recorded two strikeouts sandwiched around a groundout to end the threat.

“Again, Jake just bore down and got out of that inning,” Woitas said.

Finstad’s performance in keeping the Clippers from getting the lead swung momentum towards the Greyhounds in the bottom of the inning — with Finstad leading the way with his bat.

His one-out triple opened the flood gates for a five-run inning.

“We put the bat on the ball in the [fifth[ inning and constantly put the bat on the ball it wears down teams,” Finstad said. “When we put up those five runs, it is a confidence-booster and as a pitcher, everyone knows that.”

Colin Anderson’s one-out single brought in Finstad for a 2-1 lead.

A Schabert bunt single scored Anderson for a 3-1 lead before an infield error moved the Greyhounds to a 4-1 lead.

A Joey Schugel sacrifice fly, an Evan Blekestad triple and a balk had Cathedral leading 6-1 with Finstad in cruise control on the mound.

“Jake is going to pound the strike zone — he is going to challenge hitters — and he did that constantly for seven innings tonight,” Woitas said.

Cleveland scored its final run of the game in the seventh.

When asked what he was happier with — his three hits or his pitching performance — Finstad said he was happier with the win.