The Luverne Redbirds improved t0 18-4 overall this season by going 3-0 this past week.
The Redbirds opened the week with a 3-2 victory over Pipestone in Luverne on Wednesday, July 7.
Luverne then wrapped up the week with a pair of road victories on Sunday, July 11.
The Redbirds opened the Sunday doubleheader with a 11-1 victory over Heron Lake. In the nightcap, the Redbirds blanked Fox Lake 10-0.
Luverne 3, Pipestone 2
The Redbirds edged Pipestone on Wednesday, July 7, behind a strong pitching performance from Jake Haugen.
Luverne’s starting pitcher hurled all nine innings and recorded 12 strikeouts while scattering five hits.
With Haugen keeping the Pipestone bats at bay, the Redbirds needed only three runs to pick up their 16th win of the season.
With the Redbirds trailing 1-0, Luverne scored one run in the bottom of the third and two in the bottom of the fourth to claim a 3-1 lead.
Pipestone scored one run in the top of the ninth inning but was unable to score the tying run.
Cade Wenninger led Luverne with two hits.
Pipestone 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Luverne 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 x
Hitting: Lundgren 1-3; Paquette 1-4; Johnson 1-4; S. Wenninger 1-3; Serie 1-4; Haugen 1-4; C. Wenninger 2-4; Meyer 1-2
Doubles: Meyer
RBI: Johnson; S. Wenninger; Haugen
Luverne 11, Heron Lake 1
The Redbirds jumped on Heron Lake early and never let their foot off the gas on Sunday.
Luverne scored five runs in the first three innings to jump out to an early 5-0 lead.
The Redbirds tacked on one more run in the top of the fourth to make it a 6-0 ballgame.
Heron Lake scored their lone run of the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning to make it a 6-1 Luverne lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Redbirds blew the game wide open with a five-run inning.
Ben Serie pitched all six innings for the Redbirds and recorded 10 strikeouts and surrendered just two hits.
Luverne 2 0 3 1 0 5
Heron Lake 0 0 0 1 0 0
Hitting: Lundgren 1-5; Paquette 1-3; Johnson 1-3; S. Wenninger 1-3; Serie 1-3; Crabtree 1-3; Beyer 2-4; Nath 2-3
Doubles: Paquette; Johnson; Crabtree; Nath
Home runs: Lundgren
RBI: Lundgren; S. Wenninger 2; Serie; Crabtree 3; Nath 2
Luverne 10, Fox Lake 0
In Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader, Luverne blanked Fox Lake 10-0.
The Redbirds scored two runs in the first inning and four more runs in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead.
Luverne scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it a 9-0 ballgame.
The Redbirds wrapped up the scoring and the game by scoring one run in the bottom of the fifth to make the final score 10-0.
Phil Paquette went 3-3 at the plate with a pair of home runs.
Derek Lundgren pitched all five innings for the win.
The Redbirds will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday when they head to Milroy to take on the Milroy Irish.
Fox Lake 0 0 0 0 0
Luverne 2 4 0 3 1
Hitting: Lundgren 1-1; Nath 1-3; Paquette 3-3; Johnson 3-3
Doubles: Johnson
Home Runs: Paquette 2
RBI: Nath; Paquette 5; Johnson 3