Evan Blekestad got the start on the mound for Cathedral (7-4) and was jumped on right away for two runs in the first inning. The right-hander ended up taking the loss in 3 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and a walk for six runs, five earned, while striking out one. He also hit a batter with a pitch.

Alex Portner led the Greyhounds at the plate, going 2 for 3, while Evan Starke was 1 for 3 with the Greyhounds’ lone RBI in the game. Lane Ruch was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

George Crimmins got the complete-game win on the mound for Loyola (10-3-1). The right-hander struck out eight and allowed five hits and five walks for one earned run.

Cam Fogal did nothing but get hits and get hit to lead the Crusaders at the plate as he finished 4 for 4 with a double and a hit by pitch. The senior recently passed 100 hits for his career with the Crusaders.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Cathedral’s Evan Starke singles in a run during a Tomahawk-Valley Conference crossover game against Mankato Loyola on Friday at Johnson Park.

The Crusaders got to Blekestad for three consecutive hits to open the ballgame, starting with Fogel. TJ O’Malley followed Fogal with another single before Covin Winter singled in Fogal. O’Malley attempted to score from first but was thrown out at home. An RJ Beal single to right later scored Winter for a 2-0 Loyola lead.

The Crusaders got another pair of runs in the second on an RBI single by Winter and an error to lead 4-0.

After Crimmins loaded the bases with two-out walks to Portner, Elijah Rieser and Blekestad, he forced Eli Anderson to ground out to spoil the Greyhounds’ late-inning chance of getting on the board.

Loyola scored two more runs in the fourth after Winter’s two-run double off reliever Henry Forst. Blekestad was charged with the runs as Winter was the first batter Forst saw in the inning. Forst then got out of the fourth with two flyouts.

The Greyhounds finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth after some two-out hitting. Lane Ruch was first so single himself aboard before Camden Berg took a walk. Starke then took a half swing at a pitch but was happy to connect and drop the ball into left for an RBI single. Portner singled after that to left, but a little hesitation from Berg after rounding third resulted in him getting tagged out at home to end the inning.

Loyola scored four runs in the seventh, all unearned after a throwing error from third with two outs. That error led to one run scoring, while the next three runs came on a hit by pitch and two walks, all with the bases loaded. Portner took the mound with two outs in relief, walking one and forcing a popout to escape the jam.

Rieser was punked with a pitch in the bottom of the inning with two outs, but Crimmins forced a flyout to right to end the game.

Cathedral is at Sleepy Eye for a Tomahawk Division game at 5 p.m. on Monday