Wolves push Cathedral
before losing 2-1 in sub-section semifinals
Posted 6/5/03

Perennial state high school baseball power St. Cloud Cathedral tipped Milaca 2-1 in eight innings in the semifinals of the Sub-Section 18 Baseball Tournament Tuesday, May 27, at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud.

The loss ended Milaca¹s 2003 season while Cathedral advanced to the Sub-Section 18 finals.

³Even though we lost I think it was a big game for our program,² said Milaca Coach Craig Talberg. ³It showed we¹re making progress and that we can play against a team that has a solid, established baseball program like Cathedral. That¹s a boost for our younger players who will be coming back.

³It was a great game...a great pitching duel.²

Senior right-hander Joe Barrett started for the Wolves and pitched the distance, allowing seven hits and three walks while striking out one. Barrett had helped move Milaca into the semifinals by pitching a two-hitter in Milaca¹s 6-2 win over Pierz in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

³Joe pitched another great game and we played errorless ball behind him,² said Talberg. ³We just couldn¹t get any runs for him.²

Cathedral touched Barrett for a run in the bottom of the first inning. He then closed the door on the Crusaders for six innings before Cathedral scored the winning run with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

Senior Brian Zawaczki led off Cathedral's eighth inning with a triple. Barrett then hit Knoblauch before intentionally walking Mike Schmidt to load the bases. Barrett retired Nick Hengel on a pop up to catcher Dustin Naumann.

Barrett then walked Dave Carlson to force in the winning run.

Senior right-hander Josh Hollenhorst pitched the full eight innings for Cathedral, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out 10. He picked off three runners and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning.

Junior Tony Thompson drove in junior Josh Loegering with a single in the third inning to account for Milaca¹s lone run. Loegering and Barrett also had singles for the Wolves.

³Hollenhorst is a veteran pitcher and he kept us off balance,² said Talberg. ³We had too many strikeouts.²

Milaca, which was seeded No. 6 in the tournament, finished with a 7-11 record.

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Top-seeded Big Lake topped fifth-seeded Becker 7-6 in the other Sub-Section 18 semifinal May 27.

Cathedral, the No. 2 seed, then stopped Big Lake 5-2 in the championship game Thursday, May 29, at Joe Faber Field. Both Cathedral and Big Lake advanced to the Section 6AA Tournament.

The 6AA meet began Monday with Cathedral topping Sub-Section 19 champion Melrose 11-6 and Big Lake eliminating Sub-Section 19 runnerup Morris Area 3-2. Big Lake and Melrose were scheduled to play Tuesday, with the loser being eliminated and the winner needing to defeat Cathedral twice to reach the Class AA State Tournament.

Cathedral was scheduled to meet the Melrose-Big Lake winner today (Thursday) at 5 p.m. at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud. A second game would immediately follow if necessary.

The win over Melrose boosted Cathedral to an 18-6 record.