Luverne VFW catcher Ben Nath attempts to throw out a stealing Worthington runner during Thursday’s South Third District Playoff game in Worthington. Losses to Worthington and Edgerton ended Luverne’s 12-16 season.By John RittenhouseBack-to-back losses in Worthington eliminated Luverne from the South Third District VFW Baseball Playoffs late last week.The Cardinals lost a five-run decision to Worthington during a winner’s bracket game Thursday. A one-run setback to Edgerton ousted the Cardinals from the double-elimination event.Luverne ends the season with a 12-16 record.Edgerton 3, Luverne 2Luverne was unable to extend its season during an elimination game against Edgerton in Worthington Saturday.The Cardinals sported a pair of one-run leads at times in the game, but Edgerton scored a pair of earned runs while edging Luverne by one run at game’s end.Luverne got off to a good start by scoring one run in the top of the first inning.Derek Johnson reached base on an error in the outfield and gave the Cards an early cushion when he scored on Kelsey Petersen’s RBI double.Edgerton tied the game at one with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Cardinals regained the lead at 2-1 in the top of the fourth.Nathan Boler and Brian Deutsch drew walks to get things rolling in the fourth. Dustin Richters slapped an RBI single to plate Boler.Edgerton battled back to tie the game at two in the bottom of the fourth before producing what proved to be the game-winning run in the fifth inning.Wyatt Cote went the distance on the mound and took the loss. He allowed four hits and one earned run.Petersen led Luverne with two hits.Box score AB R H BIJohnson 4 1 0 0Petersen 3 0 2 1Pick 3 0 0 0Cote 3 0 0 0Nath 3 0 1 0Boler 2 1 0 0Deutsch 2 0 0 0Richters 3 0 1 1Lundgren 3 0 0 0Worthington 9,Luverne 4The Cardinals were knocked into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament when they dropped a five-run decision in Worthington Thursday.Luverne received an outstanding offensive performance from Derek Johnson, but No. 1-seeded Worthington simply had too many weapons for the Cardinals to deal with.Johnson had three doubles and one single and scored three runs in the game to help the Cardinals take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.Johnson led the game off with his first of three consecutive doubles. After advancing to third on a ground out to first base by Kelsey Petersen, Johnson scored on a wild pitch.Worthington answered the challenge by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first to gain a two-run lead it would never relinquish.Johnson doubled, moved to second on a ground out by Petersen and scored when Jared Pick grounded out to make it a 3-2 game in the top of the third, but Worthington countered with two-run rallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a commanding 9-2 advantage.Luverne scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to make it a five-run difference at game’s end.Pick walked, Wyatt Cote reached base on an error and Tom Ward walked to load the sacks for Luverne in the sixth. Pick scored when Brett Lundgren bounced out.Johnson singled, Petersen reached base on an error and Pick walked to load the sacks again in the seventh. Cote grounded out to plate Johnson with the game’s final run.Pick pitched all six innings and took the loss. He surrendered nine hits and five walks while striking out three batters.Box score AB R H BIJohnson 4 3 4 0Petersen 4 0 0 0Pick 2 1 0 1Cote 4 0 1 1Deutsch 1 0 0 0Ward 3 0 0 0Lundgren 3 0 0 1Richters 3 0 0 0Boler 2 0 0 0
