Through four innings at home, the Bulldogs pitched well and played solid defense. The closest LPGE got to scoring was on a double to left in the fourth, but the relay throw from Tricia Hemmesch to Carrie Hemmesch to Mellody Veldkamp was in time to nail the runner at the plate.
Gretchen Ziemer scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. She walked, advanced on two wild pitches, and scored on an error.
The Bulldogs yielded a big inning in the fifth. The Thunder had three hits and drew a walk and were aided by three Bulldog errors.
The Thunder added two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.
The Bulldogs drew eight walks but weren't able to get timely hits. The Bulldogs had just two hits for the game.
In the seventh, Paynesville loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Kelly Loesch drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in Tricia Hemmesch for the Bulldog's second run.
LPGE 000 062 1 - 9 7 2
Cathedral 11
Paynesville 000 100 1 - 2 2 3
Paynesville 0
Cathedral's Jody Weber shut out the Bulldogs with just one hit allowed. Weber did not allow a walk, and Cathedral didn't make an error until the seventh inning.
Tracy Hoffman had the only hit for Paynesville, a single in the third.
By that time, the Crusaders led 5-0. They pecked away, never scoring more than three runs in an inning. The 1-2-3 fifth inning was the only time the Crusaders didn't score in their side of an inning.
Cathedral 311 202 2 - 11 10 1
Melrose 17
Paynesville 0
Paynesville 000 000 0 - 0 1 6
The heart of Melrose's batting order did most of the damage to Paynesville. Nancy Rademacher, Ruth Primus, Sara Weber, and Jill Schoenberg batted second through fifth in the Dutchmen lineup and were a combined seven for eight at the plate with seven walks and 13 runs scored.
The Bulldogs got only three hits off Sara Weber when it was their turn to bat. Carrie Hemmesch was perfect for Paynesville with two hits in two at bats. Tracy Hoffman had the other hit for the Bulldogs.
Paynesville 000 0 - 0 3 5
Melrose 565 1 - 17 9 0
The Bulldogs played a make-up game at Albany on Monday and they hosted Litchfield on Tuesday. Results will be in next week's issue.
They will play at Sauk Centre on Friday and will host Minnewaska on Monday and Albany next Tuesday.