Greyhounds keep hitting, winning with sweep of Chargers

The Greyhounds earned a 15-1 win in a five-inning Game 1 and took the second game 18-2 in a four-inning Game 2. The first game ended in the fifth due to the 10-run lead rule, while the second game ended in four due to the 15-run lead rule.

Abbey Hillesheim got the win in Game 1, allowing three hits and a walk for one unearned run while striking out three. Katlyn Stadick took the loss in Game 1, allowing 13 hits and seven walks for 11 earned runs.

Ava Schmid was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and four runs scored to lead the Greyhounds in Game 1, while Ava Brennan was 2 for 4 with an RBI and four runs scored and Jaylin Hartness was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs.

The Chargers got singles from Grace Onken, Stadick and Taylor Gunderson in Game 1, with Briley Henderson scoring a run on a wild pitch.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau
Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Briley Henderson slides back into third safely during a Tomahawk Conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday.

The Greyhounds put three on the board in the first after Brennan walked and was doubled home by Schmid. Jenna Hotovec grounded out with one out to score Schmid before Jaylin Hartness reached on an error to keep the inning alive with two outs. A single by Alexa Hornick was followed with an RBI single by Madelyn Haala to give the Greyhounds the early 3-0 lead.

The Greyhounds added three more runs in the second, with an RBI single by Kiah Helget, an RBI groundout by Hotovec and an RBI double by Hartness bringing in the runs for the 6-0 lead.

Cathedral broke the game open in a third inning that saw them bat around. Haala doubled in the inning and scored on an RBI single by Margo Finstad. Brennan and Schmid also had RBI singles in the inning, while Hornick took a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run and give the Greyhounds an 11-0 lead.

MVL got a run back in the top of the fourth after Hotovec failed to squeeze a hit to center by Henderson into her glove. A single by Onken moved Henderson up to third and a wild pitch scored Henderson for an 11-1 score.

The Greyhounds added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, led by Hartness’s two-run single to left. Shay Wilfahrt had a chance to end it with two outs due to the 15-run lead rule, but a long fly ball off her bat into center field was hauled in for the final out of the inning by MVL center fielder Jess Meunier.

Despite giving up hits to Gunderson and Stadick with one out in the top of the fifth, Cathedral got back-to-back outs to end the game.

Game 2 was close to a repeat of Game 1 for the Greyhounds as they ended things early with their offensive attack.

Jayde Altermatt earned the Game 2 win for Cathedral in three innings, allowing one hit and one walk while adding four strikeouts. Brenna Goblirsch also pitched for Cathedral and allowed one hit and two runs while striking out one.

The Greyhounds were led at the plate by Hornick, who was 3 for 3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Haala was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Nora Otto took the Game 2 loss for MVL, allowing 11 hits and nine walks for 15 earned runs while striking out one. Karlee Prahl was 1 for 2 with a double to lead MVL, while Ashlyn Rodewald was 1 for 2 and Meunier had the team’s lone RBI in Game 2.

The Greyhounds rolled to a undefeated 13-0 overall on the season and 12-0 in the conference with the wins. They travel to Stewart for a conference game with Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart at 5 p.m. Monday.

MVL (3-8, 2-7) hosts Wabasso for a conference game Monday.