By John RittenhouseThe Luverne baseball team started the season in style by posting a pair of wins since Friday.The Cardinals toppled Red Rock Central-Westbrook-Walnut Grove by two runs in Lamberton Friday before securing a two-run home victory over Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Tuesday.Luverne plays Buffalo in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis Friday before playing a game in Windom Tuesday.Luverne 7, T-M-B 5The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never lost the lead during Tuesday’s home opener against the Panthers.Jared and Scott Pick drove in two runs each during the game and Jared Pick collected the pitching win in relief of starter Brad Herman.After Herman blanked T-M-B in the top of the first, the Cards scored three times in the bottom half of the frame.Zach Wysong reached base on an error and scored the first run on a passed ball. Jared Pick slapped a two-run triple that plated Rob Fodness and Adam Reisch, who walked and singled respectively to make it a 3-0 game.T-M-B scored twice in the top of the second to trail by one, but the Cards increased their lead to 6-2 with one run in the second inning and two in the fourth.Taylor Graphenteen reached based on an error and scored on Adam Kurtz’s fielder’s choice in the second. Wysong singled and Kurtz walked before scoring on Scott Pick’s two-run single in the fourth.The Panthers scored three runs in the final three innings of the game, while Luverne plated a sixth-inning run.Mark Remme singled and scored on a single by Fodness to account for Luverne’s final counter.Herman left the mound after surrendering a pair of unearned runs in the second inning, and Jared Pick tossed two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. Wyatt Cote allowed one run in one inning after relieving Pick. Kurtz was touched for two runs in the final two frames.Box score AB R H BIRemme 4 1 2 0Wysong 2 2 1 0Kurtz 2 1 0 1Fodness 2 1 1 1Reisch 2 1 1 0S.Pick 1 0 1 2Siebenahler 1 0 1 0J.Pick 4 0 1 2Boen 3 0 1 0Herman 2 0 0 0Cote 0 0 0 0Graphenteen 3 1 0 0Luverne 7, RRC-W-WG 3The Cardinals opened the campaign by recording a four-run victory over the Falcons Friday in Lamberton.Fodness slapped three hits and drove in three runs at the plate to lead LHS offensively. Fodness also is one of five Luverne pitchers to toss at least one inning in the contest."This was the earliest date we played a game in a long time," said Cardinal coach Mike Wenninger. "We treated it like it was a scrimmage. We threw five different pitchers."Luverne took control of the contest by scoring five runs in the top of the second inning.A walk to Jared Pick followed by singles from Tim Boen and Herman loaded the bases. Fodness plated all three runners with a double before scoring on a single by Kurtz. Remme singled home Kurtz to cap the rally.RRC-W-WG plated single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to trim Luverne’s lead to two runs (5-3) before the Cards scored twice in the seventh to settle the issue.Fodness singled and scored the first run in the seventh after a passed ball. Kurtz singled and scored at the end of a double-steal.Pick blanked RRC-W-WG during a two-inning stint as the starting pitcher, and Kurtz tossed a scoreless third inning. Fodness and Wysong surrendered one run each during one-inning stints on the hill. J.T. Bruynes surrendered one run in two innings.Box score AB R H BIWysong 4 0 0 0Fodness 3 2 3 3Kurtz 3 2 2 1Remme 3 0 1 1Reisch 2 0 0 0Cote 1 0 0 0S.Pick 1 0 0 0Tofteland 1 0 0 0J.Pick 2 0 0 0Boen 3 1 2 0Richters 0 0 0 0Herman 1 1 1 0Siebenahler 1 0 0 0Graphenteen 3 1 0 0Bruynes 1 0 0 0