Cathedral had to wait until the third inning to get its first run, but the bats heated up quickly as the Greyhounds plated seven in that inning alone.

“I think the first time through the order, we just had to get our timing down,” Cathedral head coach Jamie Kuehn said. “Once we did that, we just went of and did what we know what we can do.

Freshman Leah Wilson was the first to score for Cathedral as she continues a strong start to her varsity career. Wilson turned in a 4 for 4 game against Wabasso on Tuesday and was 3 for 3 with her first varsity home run in a game against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s on Friday. In this game, Wilson was 2 for 2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored as the leadoff batter.

“I think we’ve finally got a lineup figured out here,” Kuehn said. “It’s nice to have someone in the leadoff spot that’s got a good chance of getting on, and it really makes it easier on us in that first at-bat if she can get on and we can work to get her in to score.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Cathedral’s Leah Wilson avoids a tag to score during a Tomahawk Division softball game against Lester Prairie Wednesday at Harman Park.

Jayde Altermatt was the winning pitcher for Cathedral, striking out five in her three innings of work while allowing one hit. Abbey Hillesheim and eighth-grader Avery Fischer both pitched an inning, with Abbey Hillesheim recording two strikeouts and Fischer striking out three for a total of 10 strikeouts as a team. At the plate for the Greyhounds, Ava Schmid was 2 for 2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Brynn Wilfahrt had a hit, two RBIs and a run scored. Abbey Hillesheim was 2 for 2 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored, and Thea Paszkiewicz had a double and an RBI.

A double play helped Cathedral start the game strong defensively, but Wilson’s leadoff single didn’t lead to a score in the bottom of the first. Abbey Hillesheim doubled in the second, but was left stranded at third. Altermatt struck out the side in the top of the third, and Wilson drew a walk to lead off the second, This time, a single by Schmid brought her home, a hit by pitch on Shay Wilfahrt with bases loaded, a two-RBI single by Brynn Wilfahrt, an error put into play by Ashlyn Hillesheim to score two more runs, and an RBI single by Wilson for a 7-0 Cathedral lead.

Schmid and Abbey Hillesheim both recorded RBI doubles in the fourth for a 9-0 lead, and Paszkiewicz’s double in the fifth brought home Ava Krueger for the 10th and final run of the game.

Cathedral (11-2, 9-0) will face Sleepy Eye at home on Monday. Cathedral handed Sleepy Eye its only loss in conference earlier this season, and the Indians hold a 10-3 overall record.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Cathedral’s Thea Paszkiewicz runs for first during a Tomahawk Division softball game against Lester Prairie Wednesday at Harman Park.