By John RittenhouseTwo amateur baseball teams from the Star Herald coverage area played a home-and-home series last week and weekend.The Luverne Redbirds gained the upper hand over the Hills Thunder during the two-game set.Luverne beat the Thunder 11-1 in Luverne Wednesday, June 11. The Redbirds posted a 9-0 win in Hills Saturday.The Redbirds sported a 6-1 record at the end of the two-game series, while Hills stood at 2-6.Luverne 11, Hills 1The Redbirds opened the two-game series by securing a 10-run, seven-inning win over the Thunder in Luverne Wednesday, June 11.Kyle Kreun and Travis Arends combined efforts to toss one-run ball for seven innings to set the pace defensively for Luverne.The Redbirds scored at least one run in all seven innings of the game, winning the contest by the 10-run rule.Single runs in the first three innings gave the hosts a 3-0 cushion. Ben Winkels, James Fisher and Kreun all singled home runs in the innings.Hills made it a 3-1 game when Cade Lang singled and scored on an error in the top of the fourth, but Derek Ohme countered with an RBI single for Luverne in the bottom of the fourth to make the difference 4-1.The Redbirds went on to score two runs in the fifth and sixth innings before adding three more to end the game in the seventh.Eric Edstrom and Terry Eernisse slapped run-scoring doubles for Luverne in the fifth. Jeff Sehr produced a run with a sacrifice fly and Winkels doubled before scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth.Winkels and Sehr singled home runs in the seventh. Barry Shelton walked and scored on a wild pitch in the frame.Kreun blanked Hills while allowing one hit in the first three innings to get the win. Arends allowed five hits and one unearned run while pitching the final four frames.Jared Lang took the loss for Hills. Chad Rauk slapped two hits in the game.Hills AB R H BIJ.Lang 4 0 0 0C.Lang 3 1 1 0S.Harnack 2 0 1 0E.Harnack 2 0 0 0Sammons 3 0 1 0Van Maanen 3 0 0 0Rauk 3 0 2 0Jellema 3 0 0 0C.Harnack 3 0 1 0Luverne AB R H BIOhme 4 1 2 1Sandbulte 4 3 1 0Winkels 5 2 4 2J.Sehr 3 0 1 2Kreun 3 0 1 1Weber 0 0 0 0Iveland 4 1 2 0Edstrom 3 2 2 1Tr.Eernisse 3 1 3 1Schneider 1 0 0 0Fisher 3 0 1 1Shelton 0 1 0 0Luverne 9, Hills 0The Redbirds finished their sweep of the two-game series with a nine-run win in Hills Saturday.Travis Eernisse and Micky Sehr pitched a combined shutout for Luverne. Winkels and Weber drove home a combined five runs.Luverne took control of the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first. The innings featured a two-run single by Weber and a run-scoring single by Winkels.Jeff Sehr reached base on an error and scored before Jon Jarchow clubbed an RBI double to make it a 6-0 game in the third.Winkels capped a three-RBI game with a two run single in the sixth inning.Micky Sehr walked and scored on a single by Shelton when Luverne capped the scoring in the ninth.Travis Eernisse allowed five hits and two walks during a six-inning stint on the mound. He received the win. Micky Sehr yielded three hits while pitching three scoreless innings of relief.Matt Funke and Wade Jellema rapped two hits each for Hills. Rauk was saddled with the loss.Luverne AB R H BIOhme 4 1 2 0Reisch 4 0 0 0Winkels 4 1 2 3J.Sehr 5 2 0 0Weber 4 2 2 2M.Sehr 0 1 0 0Iveland 3 0 0 0Schneider 1 0 0 0Jarchow 4 0 3 1Shelton 1 0 1 1Tr.Eernisse 2 1 0 0Fisher 5 1 1 0Hills AB R H BIC.Lang 4 0 0 0Funke 4 0 2 0S.Harnack 3 0 1 0E.Harnack 3 0 0 0Sammons 4 0 1 0Rauk 4 0 1 0Van Maanen 4 0 1 0Jellema 4 0 2 0C.Harnack 4 0 0 0Top 0 0 0 0
