By John RittenhouseSixteen teams gathered at the Luverne Country Club Monday to play golf for area charities.The 13th annual Peg Hoiland-Anderson Memorial Golf Tournament was played under windless, sunny conditions at the LCC.The event raised more than $1,800, and the proceeds will be shared by the Luverne Dollars for Scholars Chapter and Sioux Valley Hospice.Sioux Falls players enjoyed the most success during the 18-hole scrambler, but Luverne talent did make an impact on the event.Winning the overall and women’s title during the day was a team consisting of Sioux Falls players Jeri Krsnak, Patty Coddington, Mary Albers and Joli Gallagher.The winners shot a combined 12-under-par 60.Placing second was a men’s team featuring Luverne High School players Colby Anderson and Jesson Vogt.Anderson and Vogt teamed up with Sioux Falls player Brian Anderson to shoot a 10-under-par 62 and win the men’s championship.Winning the mixed couples title was a team made up of Sioux Falls players Jackie (Ohme) Payne, Glen Poppinga, Dick Bohy and Ryan Bohy. Payne is an LHS graduate, and her team shot a seven-under-par 65.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team slipped to 3-4 in league play after dropping two of three games against District competition.Marshall Orange beat the Cardinals by 10 runs in Luverne Thursday before turning around and nipping Luverne by one run in Marshall Tuesday.Luverne posted a nine-run victory in Slayton Monday.The 8-12 Cards host Edgerton tonight before playing two games in Pipestone Monday.MO 5, Luverne 4A late rally by Luverne came up one run short during Tuesday’s game in Marshall.Luverne, which trailed 5-3 after MO scored four runs in the bottom of the first and one in the second, put together a threat that produced one run in the top of the seventh. The Cards, however, couldn’t push the tying run across the plate.Taylor Graphenteen singled, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to get things rolling in the seventh. After Derek Johnson drew a walk, Jared Pick lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Graphenteen and moved Johnson to second base. Johnson was stranded at second base when the final two Luverne batters struck out.Luverne scored the game’s first three runs in the top of the first. Pick doubled home a pair of counters and Wyatt Cote added an RBI single.Kelsey Petersen pitched all six innings and took the loss. He yielded five hits and three walks.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 2 3 0Johnson 3 1 1 0Pick 3 1 1 3Cote 4 0 1 1Nath 4 0 0 0Petersen 4 0 0 0Oeding 2 0 0 0Ward 3 0 0 0Lundgren 2 0 0 0Luverne 9, Slayton 0A solid pitching performance by Graphenteen led the Cardinals to a nine-run league win in Slayton Monday.Graphenteen, who led Luverne with two RBIs, was more impressive as a pitcher. Graphenteen tossed a seven-inning shutout, limiting Slayton to two hits and one walk while recording five strikeouts.Luverne supported its pitcher by scoring runs in four of the game’s seven innings.The Cards took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first with RBI singles from John Tofteland and Cote and a run-scoring single by Pick.Johnson singled and scored on a ground out by Graphenteen to make it 4-0 in the fourth.The Cards put together a four-run fifth inning highlighted by an RBI single from Graphenteen. Tom Ward received an RBI for a safety squeeze. One run scored on a throwing error and another with a balk by the Slayton pitcher.Luverne capped the scoring in the seventh when Dustin Richters singled and trotted home on a throwing error later in the frame.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 1 2Tofteland 5 1 1 1Pick 4 2 2 1Cote 4 1 2 1Nath 1 0 0 0Ward 0 0 0 1Johnson 3 2 1 0Petersen 3 0 1 0Oeding 1 0 0 0Lundgren 2 1 1 0Richters 3 1 2 0M0 14, Luverne 4The Cardinals dropped their second consecutive league game when Marshall Orange drubbed them by 10 runs in Luverne Thursday.Marshall scored at least one run in all five innings of a game that ended due to the 10-run rule.Orange led 14-0 after scoring one run in the first and fourth innings, seven in the second, two in the third and three in the fifth.Luverne made a bid to extend the game during the bottom of the fifth by scoring four times, but the rally fell one counter short.Ben Nath singled and Tofteland walked to ignite Luverne’s uprising in the fifth.Pick, Petersen, Brett Lundgren and Richters singled home one-run each.Johnson started the game on the mound and took the loss. Lundgren and Nath pitched in relief.Box score AB R H BINath 3 1 2 0Tofteland 1 0 0 0Pick 3 1 1 1Cote 2 1 0 0Petersen 2 1 2 1Bolen 1 0 1 0Deutsch 2 0 0 0Lundgren 3 0 1 1Johnson 1 0 0 0Richters 1 0 1 1Ward 1 0 0 0Oeding 2 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds were put to the test of playing five games in a five-day span.Luverne lost a home game to Fairmont Wednesday, June 25, before dropping a doubleheader in Spencer, Iowa, Saturday. Luverne then beat Bancroft, Iowa, in Luverne Sunday before losing a game in Windom later that day.The 10-6 Redbirds host Renner, S.D., tonight and Wilmont Sunday.Windom 4, Luverne 1Windom pulled out a three-run win in the bottom of the 10th inning against Luverne Sunday.The Redbirds scored the game’s first run in the top of the 10th inning, but Windom’s Kole Zimmerman belted a grandslam homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to settle the issue.Derek Ohme, who pitched nine and two-thirds innings of shutout ball before being tagged by Zimmerman, helped the Redbirds plate the go-ahead run in the 10th.Ohme singled home Luke Iveland, who singled and moved to second base on a passed ball, to give Luverne a 1-0 lead that slipped away moments later.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 0 1 1Sandbulte 4 0 1 0Winkels 3 0 2 0J.Sehr 3 0 0 0M.Sehr 1 0 1 0Weber 4 0 0 0Edstrom 3 0 0 0Fisher 2 0 0 0Iveland 3 1 1 0Te.Eernisse 1 0 0 0Schneider 4 0 0 0Luverne 11,Bancroft 1The Redbirds notched their lone win of the week when they routed Bancroft by 10 runs in Luverne Sunday.Luverne scored seven runs in the first three innings and Travis Eernisse protected the lead by pitching six innings of one-run, six-hit ball.Brian Weber gave the Redbirds a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first.Eric Edstrom walked and scored on an error and Jesse Reisch was hit by a pitch and scored in the second to make it 3-0.Billy Schneider delivered a three-run triple and scored on a single by Ohme when Luverne plated four runs in the third to make the difference 7-0.Bancroft plated a run in the top of the fourth before Luverne capped the scoring with one run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth.Terry Eernisse drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. James Fisher doubled home two runs and scored on an RBI single by Ohme in the seventh.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 0 3 2Sandbulte 3 0 1 0Arends 0 0 0 0J.Sehr 3 1 1 0Te.Eernisse 0 0 0 1Weber 1 1 1 1M.Sehr 1 0 0 0Winkels 4 0 0 0Edstrom 1 2 0 0Kreun 1 1 1 0Reisch 1 1 1 0Iveland 1 0 1 0Fisher 2 1 1 2Schneider 3 2 2 3Spencer 9, Luverne 7Host Spencer scored eight runs in the second inning and went on to nip the Redbirds by two runs during the first game of Saturday’s twin bill.Luverne chipped away at the lead by scoring two runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings before adding another counter in the seventh.The Redbirds, however, couldn’t complete the comeback.Luke Iveland received an RBI for a fielder’s choice and Edstrom singled home a run in the third to make it an 8-2 game.Terry Eernisse reached base on an error and scored before Jon Jarchow singled and scored to make the difference 8-4 in the top of the fourth.Spencer scored once in the bottom of the fourth to make it 9-4 before the Redbirds scored three late runs.Tony Sandbulte doubled and scored on an error and Jeff Sehr drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to help Luverne trim the difference to 9-6.Micky Sehr’s RBI single in the seventh capped the scoring.Jeff Sehr yielded six runs in one and one-thirds innings and took the loss. Terry Eernisse pitched five and two-third innings of scoreless relief.Box score AB R H BIOhme 2 0 1 0Shelton 2 0 1 1Iveland 4 0 1 1J.Sehr 3 1 1 1Winkels 4 0 0 0Edstrom 4 0 1 1Sandbulte 4 2 3 0Fisher 3 1 0 0Te.Eernisse 2 0 2 0M.Sehr 1 0 1 1Jarchow 4 2 2 0Spencer 2, Luverne 1Spencer completed a sweep of Saturday’s doubleheader by nipping the Redbirds by one run in the nightcap.Luverne led 1-0 when Ohme singled and scored on Micky Sehr’s single in the first inning, but Spencer rallied to score twice in the third inning and blanked the Redbirds the rest of the way.Jarchow went the distance on the mound, allowing two unearned runs and seven hits while fanning six batters.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 1 2 0Sandbulte 4 0 1 0J.Sehr 3 0 2 0Winkels 3 0 1 0M.Sehr 3 0 1 1Jarchow 0 0 0 0Iveland 3 0 0 0Edstrom 2 0 1 0Fisher 3 0 0 0Te.Eernisse 3 0 0 0Fairmont 3, Luverne 2Luverne’s busy stretch started with a one-run home loss to Fairmont June 25.Fairmont took a 3-0 lead by scoring one run in the second inning and two in the fourth, and the Redbirds couldn’t produce enough offense to erase the early deficit.Ohme and Jeff Sehr produced RBI doubles in the fifth and seventh innings respectively to account for Luverne’s runs.Travis Arends tossed the first six innings and took the loss after yielding three runs (one was earned). Terry Eernisse tossed three innings of scoreless relief.Box score AB R H BIOhme 3 1 2 1Sandbulte 5 0 0 0J.Sehr 4 0 1 1Wenninger 3 0 0 0Arends 0 0 0 0Weber 4 0 1 0Edstrom 4 0 2 0Winkels 3 1 2 0Iveland 3 0 0 0Fisher 2 0 0 0Jarchow 1 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne American Legion baseball team split games against area foes June 25 and Tuesday.The Cardinals posted a 12-run win in Adrian June 25 before losing a two-run home decision against Pipestone Tuesday.Luverne had a scheduled game against Slayton rained out Friday.The 3-3 Cardinals play at the Brookings, S.D., tournament Friday through Sunday before hosting Edgerton Tuesday.Pipestone 6, Luverne 4Pipestone scored a pair of late runs to nip the Cardinals during Tuesday’s game in Luverne.Luverne tied the game at four by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the visitors plated single runs in the sixth and seventh frames to prevail by two.The Cardinals led 2-0 when Adam Reisch was hit by a pitch and Jesse Kuhlman reached base on an error before both runners scored on an error in the bottom of the second.Pipestone battled back to take a 4-2 lead by scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings before adding two in the fifth, but the Cards rallied to knot the score at four in the bottom of the fifth.Joey Pick and Reisch drew bases-loaded walks to account for Luverne’s fifth-inning runs.Devan Goembel tossed the first five innings and took the loss after surrendering five runs and four hits. Rob Fodness allowed one run in two innings of relief.Box score AB R H BISchmidt 4 1 0 0Studer 3 0 1 0Kurtz 4 0 0 0Pick 3 0 1 1Reisch 2 1 0 1Kuhlman 3 1 0 0Fodness 3 0 0 0Wysong 2 0 0 0Goembel 2 1 1 0Kopp 1 0 0 0Luverne 12, Adrian 0The Cardinals opened the 2003 summer season by posting a five-inning, 12-run victory in Adrian Wednesday, June 25.Jesse Kuhlman tossed a one-hit shutout and four Luverne batters drove in two or more runs to highlight the win.Luverne assumed control of the game by scoring 12 runs in the first four innings.The Cardinals opened a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.Aaron Schmidt singled, Jake Studer walked and Adam Kurtz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mark Remme forced home the first run when he was hit by a pitch. Joey Pick slapped an RBI single before Kuhlman chased home two more runs with a single. Adam Reisch received an RBI for a ground out to cap the rally.The Cards score four more runs in the second to make it 9-0.Studer and Kurtz walked before scoring on an outfield error by Adrian. Pick and Reisch slapped RBI singles as the inning progressed.Luverne made it 11-0 when Kurtz doubled home a run and Pick capped a three-RBI game with a run-scoring single in the third.A two-out single by Rob Fodness was followed by an RBI single from Remme when Luverne scored its final run in the top of the fourth.Kuhlman walked five batters and fanned three during his five-inning stint on the hill. A one-out single in the fourth inning kept Kuhlman from pitching a no-hitter.Box score AB R H BISchmidt 3 2 2 0Kopp 2 0 0 0Studer 1 3 1 0Fodness 1 1 1 0Kurtz 1 2 1 1Remme 3 2 2 2Pick 4 2 3 3Kuhlman 4 0 3 2Reisch 4 0 3 2Boen 3 0 1 0Wysong

Hills-Beaver Creek athletes Karic Wiertzema (left) and Dustin Verhey (right) won titles at the Hershey’s Minnesota State Track and Field meet in Apple Valley Saturday. Wiertzema won the softball throw in the boys’ 11-12 division. Verhey won the 800-meter run in the boys’ 11-12 division.By John RittenhouseTwo Hills-Beaver Creek athletes won championships at the Hershey’s Minnesota State Track and Field meet in Apple Valley Saturday.Karic Wiertzema and Dustin Verhey are the young Patriots who came up with big performances during the state meet.Wiertzema took top honors in the 11- and 12-year old division of the softball throw with a toss of 159-11.Verhey won the 11-12 800-meter run with a time of 2:45.79.By winning state titles, Wiertzema and Verhey will wait and see if they are selected to compete at the Hershey’s National Track and Field Meet in Hershey, Penn., in August.Five champions from every state are selected to compete at the national level each summer. The state representatives are selected at random.Chelsi Fink and Mya Mann made bids to win state titles before placing second Saturday.Fink was second in the girls’ 13-14 softball throw with a distance 121 feet. Mann finished second in the girls’ 13-14 800-meter run in 2:35.71.H-BC athletes placed fourth in three events at state.Dalton Bass was fourth in the boys’ 9-10 100-meter dash with a time of 15.82. Amanda Tilstra finished fourth in the girls’ 13-14 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:02.89.Wiertzema, Caleb Ellingson, Andrew Scholten and Colton Bass placed fourth in the boys’ 11-12 400-meter relay with a time of 1:02.15.Wiertzema finished fifth in the boys’ 11-12 400-meter dash in 1:12, and Colton Bass was fifth in the boys’ 11-12 100-meter dash in 14.92.Tilstra was fifth in the girls’ 13-14 standing long jump with a distance of 6-10.Terence Reid placed eighth in the boys’ 11-12 softball throw with a toss of 137-9.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills Thunder dropped a pair of amateur baseball games at two different sites Sunday.Hills lost a six-run decision in Butterfield to start the day before falling by four runs in Jackson in the evening.The Thunder has lost 10 straight games since going 2-2 to start the season. Hills, 2-12 overall, plays a 2 p.m. game in Hadley Sunday.Butterfield 8, Hills 2Hills opened its two-game road swing by taking a six-run setback in Butterfield Sunday.The Thunder scored the game’s first run when Cade Lang walked and trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Scott Harnack in the top of the first, but the hosts outscored Hills 8-1 the rest of the way to win the game.Butterfield scored the game’s next eight runs by producing three counters in the second, one in the third and two runs in the fourth and sixth frames.Hills capped the scoring in the top of the seventh when Lang walked and scored on a wild pitch.George Krenz pitched all six innings and took the loss for Hills. He allowed 12 hits, eight runs and four walks while recording two strikeouts.Box score AB R H BIJ.Lang 4 0 0 0E.Harnack 1 0 1 0S.Harnack 1 0 0 1Sammons 3 0 0 0Top 0 0 0 0Funke 2 0 0 0Van Maanan 1 0 0 0Jellema 0 0 0 0C.Lang 2 2 1 0Forshey 0 0 0 0C.Harnack 1 0 0 0Krenz 2 0 0 0Jackson 7, Hills 3The Thunder let a two-run lead slip away during Sunday’s finale in Jackson.Hills plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning before Jackson countered with seven runs in the bottom of the frame to take control of the contest.Lang and Harnack singled to get things rolling for the Thunder in the first. Derek Sammons and Matt Funke slapped RBI singles to give Hills an early advantage.Hills did score another run in the top of the third after Jackson’s seven-run first inning, but the visitors were blanked the rest of the way.Lang singled, stole second and third before scoring the third-inning run on a fielder’s choice by Harnack.Jarud Lang went the distance on the mound for Hills. He was charged with seven runs, eight hits, one walk and registered four strikeouts.Box score AB R H BIJ.Lang 4 0 2 0E.Harnack 3 0 0 0S.Harnack 4 1 1 1Sammons 3 0 1 1Top 0 0 0 0Funke 3 0 1 1Van Maanen 2 0 0 0Jellema 0 0 0 0C.Lang 4 2 2 0Rauk 0 0 0 0Forshey 0 0 0 0C.Harnack 3 0 0 0Krenz 2 0 1 0

By John RittenhouseThe conclusion of the high school baseball campaign marked the beginning of the summer season for Zach Wysong.Wysong, a Hills-Beaver Creek High School student, will play baseball for Luverne’s VFW and American Legion teams this summer.The junior-to-be at H-BC was put to the test of playing four Legion games and two VFW games in a seven-day span that ended with a Legion tilt against Pipestone in Luverne Tuesday.Wysong was hitless in two trips to the plate during a 6-4 loss to Pipestone.Wysong played two games Sunday with Luverne’s Legion team that placed 2-2 and finished second at the Jackson Tournament.During a 5-2 win over Adrian Sunday afternoon, Wysong helped the Cards ice the game in a three-run sixth inning with a two-run double.The game was tied at two heading into the top of the sixth. Wysong’s double broke the deadlock.Wysong also played in the tournament’s championship game late Sunday afternoon.Luverne lost a 3-2 decision to Minnesota Lake in the title tilt.Wysong, who was hit by a pitch and scored a run that gave Luverne a 2-1 edge in the bottom of the fourth, had one hit in the contest.Prior to playing Legion ball in Jackson, Wysong played three games with Luverne’s VFW team at the New Ulm Tournament Friday and Saturday.Luverne opened the tournament by losing a 7-0 decision to Rochester Friday morning.Wysong was the only Luverne player to register a hit in the game. He singled in the top of the fourth inning.Wysong drove in three runs with a pair of hits during a 13-11 loss Saturday afternoon to New Ulm’s Junior Legion team.He slapped a run-scoring single in the fifth and added a two-run rally in the sixth to help Luverne erase a 10-2 deficit and tie the game at 11. The Cards ended up losing the game in eight innings.Wysong was the winning pitcher in the tournament finale against St. Cloud.He worked all seven innings of a 7-6 victory.Wysong helped his cause by slapping two hits and driving in two runs. He had a two-run double in a three-run third inning that gave the Cards a 4-1 lead.Before playing in New Ulm, Wysong and the Luverne Legion team opened the 2003 season by beating Adrian 12-0 in Adrian Wednesday, June 25.Wysong was hitless in three trips to the plate in Adrian.The Legion plays five games at the Brookings, S.D., tournament Friday through Sunday. The Legion hosts Edgerton at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

By John RittenhouseTwo Hills-Beaver Creek athletes won championships at the Hershey’s Minnesota State Track and Field meet in Apple Valley Saturday.Karic Wiertzema and Dustin Verhey are the young Patriots who came up with big performances during the state meet.Wiertzema took top honors in the 11- and 12-year old division of the softball throw with a toss of 159-11.Verhey won the 11-12 800-meter run with a time of 2:45.79.By winning state titles, Wiertzema and Verhey will wait and see if they are selected to compete at the Hershey’s National Track and Field Meet in Hershey, Penn., in August.Five champions from every state are selected to compete at the national level each summer. The state representatives are selected at random.Chelsi Fink and Mya Mann made bids to win state titles before placing second Saturday.Fink was second in the girls’ 13-14 softball throw with a distance 121 feet. Mann finished second in the girls’ 13-14 800-meter run in 2:35.71.H-BC athletes placed fourth in three events at state.Dalton Bass was fourth in the boys’ 9-10 100-meter dash with a time of 15.82. Amanda Tilstra finished fourth in the girls’ 13-14 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:02.89.Wiertzema, Caleb Ellingson, Andrew Scholten and Colton Bass placed fourth in the boys’ 11-12 400-meter relay with a time of 1:02.15.Wiertzema finished fifth in the boys’ 11-12 400-meter dash in 1:12, and Colton Bass was fifth in the boys’ 11-12 100-meter dash in 14.92.Tilstra was fifth in the girls’ 13-14 standing long jump with a distance of 6-10.Terence Reid placed eighth in the boys’ 11-12 softball throw with a toss of 137-9.

By Jolene FarleyThe cost of interstate long distance phone calls increased slightly across the nation on Tuesday, July 1. The Federal Communications Commission increased the Federal Universal Service Charge on consumers’ telephone bills from 9.1 percent to 9.5 percent on interstate communications, according to an Alliance Telecommunications press release. All telephone companies providing interstate service are mandated by Congress to contribute to the fund, and the cost of their contribution is passed on to consumers. The increase will affect consumers differently, depending on how many long-distance phone calls made. "It will depend on how much interstate communication someone does," Alliance Telecommunications Marketing Director Amy Ahlers said.For instance, if a customer has a long distance bill of $20 he or she would pay $1.90 above the $20 charge versus $1.82 before the rate change took effect.Locally, Hills Telephone Company’s July billing will reflect the increase. The Universal Service Fund was founded in the 1930’s to promote telephone services to all households because telephones provide a vital link to emergency services, government services and surrounding communities. The fund helps make phone service affordable and available to all Americans, including low income consumers, those living in areas where the cost to provide service is high and schools, libraries and rural health care providers. Without the Universal Service Fund, customers in high-cost areas would pay more for telephone service, according to Alliance Telecommunications. Typically small, rural companies have higher operating and equipment costs than urban companies and rural companies have fewer customers, smaller calling areas and limited economies. The FCC distributes money from the Universal Fund to local companies based on specific costs. In the past, only long distance companies paid fees to support the fund but in 1996, Congress passed a law expanding the types of companies contributing to the fund. Currently, all telecommunication companies providing service including long distance companies, local telephone companies, wireless telephone companies, paging companies, and pay phone providers are required to contribute to the Federal Universal Service Fund. Contribution requirements change quarterly, depending on the needs of the fund and the consumers it is designed to help. The amount each company is required to contribute will change accordingly. Hills Telephone Company, Inc. is owned by Alliance Telecommunications, Dell Rapids, Golden West, Rapid City, S.D., and Hector Communications.