By John Rittenhouse
Luverne played its way to a second-place finish in the First Division of the Lincoln D. Wacker Foundation American Legion Baseball Tournament in Jackson over the weekend.
Luverne went 3-1 in its division, placing second to unbeaten Worthington.
The Cardinals beat Fairmont by nine runs in SaturdayÕs opener before falling by 12 runs to Worthington in the second game. Luverne nipped Jackson I by one run Sunday before besting St. James by four.
Luverne ended the weekend with a 5-7 overall record. The Cards play at the Brookings, S.D., Tournament Friday through Sunday. Luverne plays in Pipestone Monday before hosting Adrian Tuesday.
Luverne 10,
Fairmont 1
The Cardinals scored 10 runs in the third and fourth innings during Saturday's opening win over Fairmont.
Luverne trailed 1-0 early in the game, but a four-run third inning followed by a six-run fourth set the stage for a nine-run win.
Tony Sandbulte slapped a two-run double during the third inning. Jake Studer and Luke Iveland singled home runs in the frame.
Adam Kurtz had the big blow in the fourth when he stroked a two-run double. Eric Edstrom, Studer and Ryan Goebel drew bases-loaded walks, and Aaron Schmidt received an RBI for a fielder's choice.
Kurtz pitched a six-inning, one-hitter to notch the win. He fanned four batters.
Box score AB R H BI
Frey 3 2 1 0
Iveland 3 2 1 1
Sandbulte 3 2 2 2
Edstrom 2 0 0 1
Kuhlman 1 0 0 0
Studer 2 0 1 2
Goembel 1 0 0 0
Schmidt 3 0 0 1
DeWispelaere 1 0 0 0
Pick 3 1 0 0
Goebel 3 1 3 1
Kurtz 3 0 1 2
Worthington 14,
Luverne 2
The Cardinals were unable to keep up with the eventual division champion when they took on Worthington in Saturday's second game.
Worthington scored three runs in the first, second and third frames before adding five more in the fourth.
Luverne, on the other hand, was limited to a pair of first-inning runs.
Sandbulte doubled home a run and Kurtz recorded a sacrifice fly to account for Luverne's runs.
Jesse Kuhlman pitched the first three innings and took the loss. Iveland pitched in relief.
Box score AB R H BI
Frey 3 1 1 0
Iveland 3 0 1 0
Sandbulte 2 1 1 1
Edstrom 0 0 0 0
Studer 2 0 1 0
Kurtz 1 0 0 1
Kuhlman 0 0 0 0
Pick 1 0 0 0
Schmidt 2 0 0 0
Goebel 1 0 0 0
Luverne 16,
Jackson 15
The Cardinals pulled out a one-run win in a wild game against Jackson to begin play Sunday.
Luverne scored 15 of its 16 runs in two innings and held off a late challenge by the hosts to win by one.
After taking a 1-0 lead when Edstrom doubled home a run in the first inning, Luverne opened a 16-9 cushion when it scored eight runs in the second inning and seven in the fourth.
Jackson scored six runs in the fifth and sixth innings to trim the difference to one run at 16-15, but it never did catch the Cards.
Kurtz delivered a grand-slam homer to account for four of Luverne's eight counters in the second. Other highlights in the rally were an RBI single by Kuhlman and an RBI ground out by Schmidt.
Edstrom singled home two runs and Schmidt drove in another with a fielder's choice while providing the highlights of Luverne's seven-run fourth inning.
Schmidt pitched the first three innings of the game without gaining a decision. Kuhlman tossed three innings of relief to pick up the win.
Box score AB R H BI
Frey 3 1 1 0
Iveland 3 2 1 0
Studer 1 3 0 0
Edstrom 3 1 2 4
Kuhlman 2 2 1 1
Schmidt 4 2 1 2
Pick 3 2 2 0
Goebel 3 1 0 0
Kurtz 4 2 3 4
Luverne 12,
St. James 8
The Cardinals ended their tournament appearance with a four-run win over St. James Sunday.
Trailing 7-3 after St. James scored five runs in the fourth inning, Luverne rallied to score nine runs in the next two innings and secure a victory.
A six-run fifth inning that featured a two-run double by Schmidt, RBI singles by Kuhlman and Edstrom, an RBI double by Joey Pick and a sacrifice fly by Kurtz gave the Cards a 9-7 lead.
After St. James scored once to make it a 9-8 game in the bottom of the fifth, Luverne scored four times in the top of the sixth to put the game away.
Kurtz doubled home a run and Adam Reisch singled home a run to account for two of the three runs in the sixth.
Luverne scored single runs in the first three innings. Edstrom singled and scored on an error in the first, Ryan Goebel provided a sacrifice fly in the second and Iveland doubled and scored in the third.
Studer pitched the first three innings without earning a decision. Tom Frey picked up the win by tossing two innings of relief. Kurtz pitched the final frame.
Box score AB R H BI
Frey 3 1 0 0
Iveland 3 3 1 0
Edstrom 3 3 2 1
Kurtz 3 1 2 2
Studer 2 0 0 0
Schmidt 2 1 1 2
Pick 2 2 1 1
Kuhlman 4 1 3 1
Goebel 1 0 0 1
Reisch 4 0 1 1