By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne VFW baseball team has been a busy team since taking the field May 28 to open the 2002 campaign.
The young Cardinals have played nine games in a 14-game span, compiling a 4-5 record.
Luverne posted its third consecutive win when it upended the Sioux Falls Blackbirds 6-3 at Redbird Field Tuesday.
Tim Boen tossed four strong innings to pick up the win. Mark Remme and Jared Pick produced two hits each.
Luverne hosted a VFW Tournament over the weekend, going 2-1 during the event.
The Cards took on New Ulm in the tourney opener Friday and came up on the short end of a 4-1 decision.
Zach Wysong took the pitching loss for Luverne. Jared Pick slapped an RBI double to account for the team’s lone run.
Luverne snapped a five-game losing skid by besting Fairmont 6-2 in Saturday’s first game.
Brent Bradley led the charge at the plate by slapping a pair of hits. Pick notched the pitching win.
The Cards then beat Tracy 8-2 later Saturday.
Adam Kurtz fanned 12 batters in seven innings to to pick up the win. Kurtz and Wysong had two hits at the plate. Brad Herman led the Cards with three hits, including a three-run double.
Luverne dropped its second league game of the season in Marshall Thursday.
Mark Remme punched three hits at the plate while Jordan Kopp, Pick and Rob Fodness added two safeties each. Luverne, however, came up on the short end of a 10-2 score. Tim Boen took the pitching loss.
The night before playing in Marshall, Luverne lost a double-header to the Sioux Falls Wildcats Wednesday, June 5.
The Wildcats overcame two-hit efforts by Bradley and Brandon Deragisch to take Game 1 by a 9-5 tally. Andy Stegemann was saddled with the pitching loss.
Sioux Falls completed the sweep with a 13-2 win in Game 2. Herman took the pitching loss, and a fourth-inning single by Deragisch proved to be Luverne's lone hit.
Luverne opened league play by hosting Worthington in a forgettable game Monday, June 3.
Worthington no-hit the Cardinals in a 1-0 loss. Pick was charged with the pitching loss.
The Cardinals opened the season by besting the Sioux Falls Blackbirds 14-4 in Luverne Thursday, May 28.
Pick, the winning pitcher, led the way at the plate with three hits.