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For the second summer in a row, the Luverne Redbirds are champions of Region 13C Minnesota amateur baseball.
Luverne defeated the Milroy Irish 2-1 in the best-of-three-games region championship series last week.
With the series win, the Redbirds not only claimed the region championship but also earned a first-round bye in the 2022 Minnesota Baseball Association Class C State Tournament.
As the top-seeded team, Milroy hosted Games 1 and 3, which were both won by Luverne (4-3 on Aug. 10 and 8-7 on Sunday), while second-seeded Luverne hosted Game 2 Friday, which was won by Milroy 3-0.
“We’re really excited to win back-to-back region championships,” said Luverne player-manager Brooks Maurer.
“It’s really tough to make a run at state, so getting a first-round bye to help get further in the tournament is really important,” Maurer said.
Luverne 4, Milroy 3
No. 2-seeded Luverne traveled to Irish Yard in rural Milroy Wednesday night, Aug. 10, to face the top-seeded Irish in Game 1 of the Region 13C championship.
The visitors came home with a close 4-3 win.
With Jake Haugen of Luverne and Hunter Weinhoff of Milroy starting on the mound, the two best baseball teams in southwest Minnesota played scoreless ball through seven innings.
In the top of the eighth frame, Luverne’s Gaige Nath and Phil Paquette reached base on singles before Skyler Wenninger earned a walk to load the bases.
When the next two batters, Ben Serie and Declan Beers, were hit by Weinhoff pitches, Nath and Paquette scored the first two runs of the game and the bases remained full.
Haugen then hit a two-RBI single to left field that scored Wenninger and Serie and the Birds took a 4-0 lead.
Milroy then answered by plating two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After Luverne was scoreless in the top of the ninth frame, Milroy needed at least two runs in the bottom of the inning to avoid a loss.
After the first Irish batter lined out to third base, the next two batters hit singles to put the tying run on first base.
A wild pitch to the next batter advanced the runners to second and third bases before that batter struck out for the second out of the inning.
A passed ball during the next at bat scored the Milroy runner from third base to make the score 4-3.
When pitcher Serie struck out the Irish batter, the game ended by that score and Luverne took the 1-0 game advantage in the series.
Haugen spent seven complete innings on the mound. He gave up seven hits and two runs while striking out six and walking two.
Serie came in to pitch the final two innings. He gave up three hits and one run and struck out four.
Colby Crabtree led the Redbirds at the plate, going two-for-four.
Luverne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4
Milroy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 0 1 0
P Paquette 5 1 1 0
S Wenninger 4 1 0 0
B Serie 3 1 1 1
D Beers 3 0 1 1
J Haugen 4 0 1 2
C Wenninger 4 0 0 0
C Crabtree 4 0 2 0
G Nath 4 1 1 0
Milroy 3, Luverne 0
The Redbirds hosted the Milroy Irish in Game 2 of the Region 13 championship series Friday night.
The final home game of the season on a beautiful night drew a large crowd to Redbird Field.
The home fans were not treated to a win, however. The Irish won the game 3-0, the first time the Redbirds have been shut out in 32 games this season.
Luverne’s Cade Wenninger and Milroy’s Collin Lovell, a draftee from the Windom Pirates, pitched outstanding games.
Wenninger was on the mound for eight complete innings. The left-hander gave up only three hits along with three runs (one earned). He struck out five and walked two.
The Redbird defense held Milroy to only three batters in each of the first two innings and four batters in the third stanza before the Irish scored their first run in the top of the fourth.
Milroy scored two additional runs in the sixth inning.
Ethan Beyer replaced Wenninger on the mound for the ninth inning. He struck out two and gave up no hits and no runs.
Haugen was the only Redbird with extra hits (two for three). Lundgren, Skyler Wenninger and Nath had the other hits for Luverne.
Milroy 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3
Luverne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 4 0 1 0
S Wenninger 4 0 1 0
B Serie 4 0 0 0
J Haugen 3 0 2 0
C Wenninger 4 0 0 0
E Beyer 3 0 0 0
C Crabtree 3 0 0 0
C Reisch 3 0 0 0
G Nath 3 0 1 0
Luverne 8, Milroy 7
Entering the third and decisive game of the Region 13C championship series at Irish Yard Sunday afternoon, Milroy and Luverne had played four times this season with each team winning twice and the away team winning each contest.
The “away field advantage” theme continued Sunday, with the Luverne Redbirds coming from behind in the ninth inning to defeat the Irish 8-7 and claim their second consecutive region championship.
“It’s always an intense matchup between us and Milroy,” Maurer said.
“Sunday’s game was no exception,” he said, “especially the top and bottom of the ninth inning.”
Luverne scored the first run of the game in the second inning.
Logan Norman led off with a single and Beyer reached first base on an error by the catcher after a bunt. Norman then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Nath.
Milroy then scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The Birds answered with one run in the top of the sixth.
Haugen drew a walk and Norman was hit by a pitch before a sacrifice bunt by Beyer advanced the runners to second and third base.
Haugen then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Charlie Reisch.
Milroy then plated three more runs in the seventh inning to take a 5-2 advantage.
Luverne got one run back in the top of the eighth when Haugen hit a double, advanced to third on a ground out by Norman and scored on an RBI single by Beyer.
Entering the final inning, Luverne was down 5-3.
Nath led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. Lundgren then hit a single and Nath advanced to third base.
When Paquette was hit by a pitch, the bases were filled. When Skyler Wenninger was hit by a pitch, Nath scored and the bases remained loaded.
Serie then hit an RBI single that scored Lundgren to tie the game with the bases still loaded and no outs.
Next up, Haugen popped out to right field. Skyler Wenninger scored on the throw and Paquette scored after tagging up at third to take the 7-5 lead.
Serie then scored on a Beyer line drive to center.
The Irish scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it would not be enough. The Redbirds won the game 8-7.
Serie pitched the first 6 1/3 innings for the Birds. He gave up four runs off eight hits and struck out five.
Kobe Lovell, a draftee from the Windom Pirates, pitched to four Irish batters during the seventh inning. He gave up one hit and one run.
Luverne’s Lundgren came to the mound for the final two innings and picked up the win.
Lundgren gave up no hits, two runs and struck out five, including two in the decisive final ninth inning.
The Redbirds tallied 12 total hits in the victory.
Haugen led the offense with two hits, two runs and two RBIs.
Lundgren, Paquette and Beyer also collected two hits each. Beyer also had two RBIs.
Luverne 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 8
Milroy 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 7
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 1 2 0
P Paquette 4 1 2 0
S Wenninger 4 1 1 1
B Serie 5 1 1 1
J Haugen 4 2 2 2
L Norman 3 1 1 0
E Beyer 4 0 2 2
C Reisch 4 0 0 1
G Nath 4 1 1 1