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The Luverne amateur baseball team extended its win streak to 15 games and ended the regular season 21-2 with wins over the Worthington Cubs and Jackson Bulls last week.
The Redbirds had no trouble with Worthington at home Wednesday, July 13, earning a 19-2, seven-inning victory.
Luverne then traveled to Jackson Sunday afternoon and defeated the Bulls in a close contest, 5-4.
The Redbirds finished second in the Gopher League to the Milroy Irish. The team earned the second-seed and will face the Heron Lake Lakers in the league playoffs (see related story).
Luverne 19, Wgtn 2
It was another impressive offensive showing for the home team at Redbird Field July 13 when Luverne hosted the Worthington Cubs.
Luverne batters collected 16 hits and 17 RBIs while scoring 19 runs during six innings at bat in a game shorted by the ten-run rule.
Derek Lundgren led the offensive charge for the Birds.
Lundgren tallied four hits during five plate appearances. He totalled five RBIs and scored three runs.
Ben Serie also plated three runs for Luverne while earning three hits, including a triple and two doubles, and batting in four teammates.
“We were all feeling pretty confident at the plate," Serie said.
Newt Johnson had two hits and scored twice.
Phil Paquette, Declan Beers, Cade Wenninger and Gaige Nath also scored two runs each in the lop-sided victory.
The game was scoreless after 1 1/2 innings until the Birds scored seven runs in the bottom of the second.
The Cubs answered by scoring their only two runs of the game in the top of the third.
When Luverne added five more runs in the bottom of the inning, the game’s eventual outcome was secured.
Serie was on the mound for the first six innings of the game. He gave up only four hits, two runs and two walks while striking out seven Worthington batters.
Brooks Maurer came in to pitch the final inning, giving up no hits and no runs.
“When we are hitting well at the plate, we usually produce really good pitching to go with it,” Serie said.
Wgtn 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 x x 2
Luverne 0 7 5 1 1 5 x x x 19
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 3 4 5
P Paquette 2 2 1 1
C Crabtree 1 0 1 0
S Wenninger 3 1 0 1
C Sehr 2 0 1 1
B Serie 5 3 3 4
D Beers 2 2 0 0
N Johnson 3 2 2 0
J Haugen 4 1 1 1
C Wenninger 3 2 1 0
C Zeutenhorst 1 1 1 3
G Nath 3 2 1 1
Luverne 5, Jackson 4
In the final regular season game of the year, Luverne traveled to Jackson to earn a close 5-4 win over the Bulls.
It was pitching by committee for the Redbirds.
Jake Haugen started on the mound and pitched two innings. He gave up four hits and three runs.
Colby Crabtree threw the next two innings, giving up no hits and no runs and striking out two.
Cade Wenninger pitched the next two innings. The left-hander stuck out five and gave up no hits and no runs.
Lundgren came to the mound for the final inning, giving up one hit and one run and striking out two.
Jackson held a 3-0 lead going into the third inning before Luverne plated three runs to tie the game.
Nath led off the inning with a line drive double to right field.
Cade Wenninger and Lundgren then earned walks to load the bases.
When the Jackson pitcher issued his third consecutive walk (to Serie), Nath scored Luverne’s first run.
Cade Wenninger and Ludgren also scored in the inning.
The Redbirds took the 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Beers, who led off the inning with a double, scored on a wild pitch.
In the sixth inning, the Birds scored their final run of the game when Johnson hit a single that scored Paquette.
The Bulls scored one more run in the final inning, but it was not enough and Luverne left town with a 5-4 victory to end the regular season 21-2.
Luverne 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 x x 5
Jackson 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 x x 4
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 3 1 0 0
B Serie 2 0 0 1
P Paquette 3 1 1 0
N Johnson 3 0 2 1
D Beers 3 1 1 0
J Haugen 1 0 0 0
C Crabtree 1 0 1 0
G Nath 1 1 1 0
C Sehr 2 0 0 0
M Sterrett 3 0 0 0
C Wenninger 2 1 0 0