Cardinal softball tripped up by Flying Dutchmen 5-1

The Luverne Cardinals softball team split a pair of games this past week to bring their overall record to 9-9 with just two regular season games remaining.
The Cardinals opened the week on Tuesday, May 18, with a 13-3 victory over Adrian/Ellsworth.
Luverne wrapped up the week with a 5-1 home loss to Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian on Thursday, May 20.
 
LHS 13, A/E 3
The Cardinals and Dragons appeared to be on their way to a nail-biting finish in Adrian on Tuesday, May 18.
The two teams were deadlocked at 0-0 until the Cardinals scored six runs in the third inning.
The Dragons answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 6-1 game.
Luverne tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to build an 8-1 lead.
The Cardinals pushed across one run in the top of the sixth to make it a 9-1 game.
The Dragons scraped across two runs in the bottom of the sixth to trim Luverne’s lead to 9-3.
In the final inning, the Cardinals scored four insurance runs to take a 13-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Roz Oye earned the win for the Cardinals by pitching all seven innings and recording eight strikeouts.
Shelby Kracht, Billi Connell and Carly Olson all hit home runs for the Cardinals.
Ainsley Robinson recorded a team-leading four hits.
 
LHS 0 0 6 2 0 1 4 13 15 3
A/E 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 4 2
 
Hitting: Connell 3-5; Robinson 4-5; Olson 2-4; Oye 1-4; Boll 2-4; Kracht 2-3; Bork 1-3
Doubles: Connell; Olson; Bork; Boll
Home Runs: Kracht; Connell; Olson
 
Edgerton/SWMNC 5, LHS 1
In the first meeting between Luverne and Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian, it was the Cardinals edging E/SWMNC 7-6.
The second meeting on Thursday, May 20, in Luverne went to the Dutchmen 5-1.
The Cardinals and starting pitcher Gracie Nath set down the visitors in order in the first inning.
Connell led off the bottom of the first inning with a sharply hit single.
The Cardinals put runners on third and second in the inning but were unable to bring them home.
Nath opened the top of the second inning by striking out the first batter she faced.
With two outs in the inning, the Dutchmen hit an RBI single to open the scoring.
The Cardinals scored the equalizer in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 1-1 game.
E/SWMNC scored a run in the top of the sixth inning to make a 2-1 ballgame.
The visiting team added three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to make the final score 5-1.
Connell led the Cardinals with two hits. Connell also recorded two stolen bases.
The Cardinals will wrap up the regular season on Thursday, May 27, in Luverne with a doubleheader against the Marshall Tigers.
 
E/SWMNC 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5
LHS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
 
Hitting: Robinson 1-2; Olson 1-4; Connell 2-4; Kracht 1-3
Doubles: Kracht