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For the fourth consecutive year, the Luverne Redbirds will compete at the Minnesota Class C Amateur Baseball State Tournament.
The Redbirds, now 27-3 on the season, earned the trip to state by winning their Region 13C Final Four series over the Fairmont Martins 2-1.
Luverne won the first game 12-2 at home Aug. 3. Fairmont defeated Luverne 6-5 Friday night before the Birds came out on top of Fairmont 12-0 at Redbird Field Sunday night.
“Qualifying for state is always a highlight of the summer,” said Luverne player-manager Brooks Maurer. “It’s what we play for.”
Luverne 12, Fairmont 2
No. 2-seeded Luverne opened the best-of-three Region 13C Final Four series against the No. 6-seeded Fairmont Martins with a 12-2 victory in eight innings at Redbird Field Wednesday, Aug. 3.
Luverne tallied eight runs in the first six innings before the Martins plated two in the top of the seventh to make the score 8-2.
When the Redbirds scored four more runs in the bottom of the eighth frame, the game ended 12-2 because of the ten-run rule.
Phil Paquette (3 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBIs) scored his first run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Ben Serie to left field.
In the third inning, Paquette scored his second run when pitcher Jake Haugen hit a sacrifice fly to the same left fielder.
Ethan Beyer scored in the fourth stanza when Paquette hit a line drive single to center field.
Paquette then scored his third and final run of the game on a passed ball to bring the score to 4-0 after four innings.
Luverne scored two more runs in the next inning with back-to-back RBI doubles.
Beyer scored Haugen with a double to right field before Gaige Nath’s double to right field scored Beyer.
In the sixth inning, a sacrifice fly by Haugen scored Skyler Wenninger, who had reached base on a double.
The next batter, Cade Wenninger, hit a line drive single that scored Ben Serie, to make the score 8-0.
After Fairmont scored two in the top of the seventh, the Birds answered with four runs in the eighth to bring the game to an end.
Newt Johnson hit a single, and Cade Wenninger and Beyer earned walks to load the bases. When Nath was hit by a pitch, Johnson scored.
A sacrifice fly by Derek Lundgren then scored Cade Wenninger before back-to-back singles by Paquette and Skyler Wenninger scored Beyer and Nath.
Haugen pitched the complete game. He gave up six hits and two runs and struck out seven.
Fairmont 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 x 2
Luverne 1 0 1 2 2 2 0 4 x 12
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 0 1 1
P Paquette 5 3 3 2
S Wenninger 5 1 4 1
B Serie 3 1 1 1
N Johnson 4 1 2 0
J Haugen 3 1 2 2
C Wenninger 4 1 2 1
E Beyer 3 3 1 1
G Nath 3 1 1 1
Fairmont 6, Luverne 5
The Redbirds’ 20-game win streak came to an end with a close 6-5 road loss to the Fairmont Martins Friday night.
The setback, Luverne’s first since June 6 and third loss of the season, almost didn’t happen.
The Redbirds faced a five-run deficit entering the ninth inning and almost came back by scoring four runs in the final stanza, but it wasn’t enough as the game ended 6-5.
Luverne scored first in the game when a triple by Declan Beers scored Serie.
Fairmont then scored four runs in the sixth inning, one more in the seventh and another in the eighth to take a 6-1 lead after eight innings.
Then the Redbirds made it interesting.
In the top of the ninth inning, Beers and Haugen reached base on back-to-back singles.
Cade Wenninger then reached base on an error by the Fairmont third baseman, which scored Beers and advanced Haugen to second base.
A wild pitch to Beyer then advanced Haugen to third and Wenninger to second.
Haugen then scored when Beyer hit a ground ball and reached base on an error by the shortstop. Wenninger moved to third on the same play before scoring on a passed ball while Colby Crabtree was at the plate.
Beyer then scored on a passed ball during the next at bat to bring the game within one run.
When Lundgren grounded into a fielder’s choice to third, Nath was out at second, the game came to an end and the Martins forced a third and final game to settle the series on Sunday.
Serie pitched the first seven innings for Luverne. He gave up seven hits, five runs and struck out six.
Crabtree came to the mound for the eighth inning. He gave up one hit and one run and struck out one.
Luverne 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5
Fairmont 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 x 6
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 0 1 0
P Paquette 2 0 0 0
B Serie 3 1 0 0
D Beers 4 1 2 1
J Haugen 4 1 1 0
C Wenninger 4 1 0 0
E Beyer 4 1 0 1
C Sehr 3 0 0 0
C Crabtree 1 0 0 0
G Nath 3 0 0 0
Luverne 12, Fairmont 0
For Luverne, the decisive game of the best-of-three series between the Luverne Redbirds and Fairmont Martins was worth waiting for.
The game was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Redbird Field, but rain and wet field conditions delayed the game until 7 p.m.
When rain continued Sunday afternoon, the first pitch was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to allow for field preparation.
Although wet conditions continued, the game was played, and the Redbirds’ famed offense made quick order of the Martins, winning 12-0 in seven innings.
“I knew coming into it that conditions wouldn’t be favorable,” said Luverne’s starting pitcher Cade Wenninger.
“But I knew if I could get my balls to my defense, they would make plays to get us off the field.”
And that’s exactly what happened.
Wenninger pitched a complete seven-inning shutout, giving up only three hits and two walks while striking out nine.
The Redbirds opened up the game by scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Beers and Johnson led off the inning with consecutive walks before a sacrifice bunt by Haugen advanced the runners to second and third bases.
Beers then scored on a wild pitch. Beyer was hit by a pitch to put himself and Johnson at first and third bases respectively.
A double by Lundgren scored both Johnson and Beyer. Paquette then singled to score Lundgren.
Skyler Wenninger hit a single before a Serie single scored Paquette.
A walk to Beers loaded the bases, and Wenninger then scored when Johnson earned a bases-loaded walk.
The Birds plated four more runs in the fourth frame.
Skyler Wenninger and Serie reached base on walks. When Johnson reached base on an error, Wenninger scored. Haugen was then hit by a pitch to load the bases again.
Cade Wenninger then hit a single to score Serie before a single by Beyer scored Johnson and Haugen.
Haugen and Beyer scored the final two runs of the contest during the sixth inning off RBI singles by Lundgren and Skyler Wenninger.
When the Redbirds had a 12-run lead in the seventh inning, the mercy rule ended the game. Luverne won the series 2-1 and qualified for a fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament.
Lundgren led the offense for Luverne, going four for five at the plate, scoring a run and adding three RBIs.
“This summer has really been fun so far and it’s awesome to play with such a great group of talented guys,” Lundgren said.
“It’s always fun to go to a state tournament and compete against some good teams and players,” Lundgren said. “We are looking forward to that.”
Fairmont 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x x 0
Luverne 0 6 0 4 0 2 x x x 12
AB R H BI
D Lundgren 5 1 4 3
P Paquette 4 1 1 1
C Crabtree 1 0 0 0
S Wenninger 4 2 2 1
B Serie 3 1 1 1
D Beers 2 1 0 0
N Johnson 2 2 0 1
J Haugen 2 2 1 0
C Wenninger 4 0 1 1
E Beyer 3 2 2 2