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Luverne softball team finishes 2023 season 15-8

Lead Summary
,
By
Greg Hoogeveen

The Luverne High School softball team was eliminated from Section 3AA play Saturday, May 27, when the Cardinals lost to Dassel-Cokato 5-4 in Marshall 
“It’s aways tough to have your season come to an end,” head coach Brooks Maurer said. “Overall, 15 wins is nothing to hang your head over.”
Luverne finished the year with a season record of 15-8.
LHS beat Litchfield in the first round of elimination earlier in the day 9-5.
On Tuesday, May 23, the Cardinals beat Redwood Valley 10-0 and lost to Jackson County Central 9-4 at home.
“We had a lot of girls show great improvement from last year and over the course of the season,” Maurer said.
“I think this season I used more variations in lineups than my last six combined, and that’s a testament to our depth and different girls stepping up at different moments throughout the year.”
 
LHS 10, Redwood 0
In Section 3AA play, the Cardinals softball team beat Redwood Valley 10-0 at home Tuesday, May 23.
Luverne won the game in five innings with eight team hits and eight RBIs.
LHS held Redwood to only two hits and two total bases.
In the first inning, sophomore Payton Behr and junior Elizabeth Smidt scored off a hard ground ball by sophomore Ella Reisdorfer and an error by the Redwood shortstop. Reisdorfer reached second on the error.
In the second inning Reisdorfer singled to right field driving in Allie Kracht from third and Behr from second.
Junior Tori Serie scored in the third on a sacrifice fly by junior Anika Boll.
In the fourth Luverne added two runs, Smidt scored on a single from sophomore Amira Cowell and then Cowell scored off a single by junior Kenedee Franken.
In the fifth and final inning the Cardinals extended their lead scoring three more runs.
Behr and Kianna Winter scored off a double from senior Carly Olson and Piper Wynia scored of a Cowell double.
Junior Gracie Nath pitched five innings allowing two hits, striking out nine and walking none.
 

BOX Score
RDWD 0 0 0 0 0 x x   0
LHS     2 2 1 2 3 x x  10
 
BATTING
Luverne AB R H RBI
Behr 1 3 0 0
Smidt 4 2 2 0
Olson 3 0 1 2
Reisdorfer 3 0 1 2
Cowell 4 1 2 2
Serie 1 1 1 0
Franken 2 0 1 1
Boll 1 0 0 1
Kracht 0 1 0 0
Lenz 1 0 0 0
2B: Cowell, Olson
Total Bases: Cowell 3, Smidt 2, Olson 2, Reisdorfer, Serie, Franken
SB: Kracht 2, Smidt, Behr, Serie
 
PITCHING
Luverne IP H R ER  SO
Nath         5   1   0   0   9
Pitches-Strikes: Nath 66-46
Batters Faced: Nath 18
 

Jackson 9, LHS 4
After their win against Redwood, the Cardinals took on Jackson County Central losing 9-4 at home. 
LHS fell behind early and committed 10 team errors hurting any chances they had to stay in the game.
The Cardinals were able to make a run in the sixth and seventh innings only to get shut down in the end.
Kracht was able to score in the sixth on a single by Cowell.  Wynia and Anika Boll scored on a Smidt double and Kracht scored when Reisdorfer grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Nath took the loss surrendering nine runs on 15 hits, striking out seven baters.
 

BOX Score
JCKS 0 3 0 0 3 1  2  9
LHS 0  0 0 0 0 1 3 4
 
BATTING
Luverne AB R H RBI
Behr 4 0 1 0
Smidt 3 0 2 2
Olson 1 0 0 0
Reisdorfer 4 0 0 1
Cowell 4 0 0 0
Serie 2 0 0 0
Mehlhaff 2 0 0 0
Franken 3 0 1 0
Boll 3 1 0 0
Kracht 1 2 0 0
Lenz 1 0 1 0
2B: Smidt, Behr
Total Bases: Smidt 3, Behr 2, Lenz, Franken
SB: Smidt
 
PITCHING
Luverne IP    H    R   ER    SO
Nath        7    15    9    5     7
Pitches-Strikes: Nath 125-81
Batters Faced: Nath 37
 

LHS 9, Litchfield 5
Luverne was placed in the Section 3AA elimination bracket after their loss Jackson.
In the Cardinals first game held in Marshall they took on Litchfield winning 9-5 Saturday, May 27.
LHS took an early 5-2 lead in the first two innings with Litchfield closing the gap to 6-5 after the fourth inning. 
Luverne extended their lead scoring three in the sixth to solidify their win in the first game.
Scoring for Luverne was Behr, Winter, Reisdorfer and Cowell in the first inning.
Behr scored again in the second and fourth innings.
In the sixth, Behr, Smidt and Winter crossed home plate.
Nath took the mound pitching seven innings, allowing eight hits and five runs, striking out eight batters.

 
BOX Score
LHS     4 1 0 1 0 3 0   9
LTCH   0 2 1 2 0 0 0  5
 
BATTING
Luverne AB R H RBI
Behr 3 4 1 0
Smidt 4 1 1 1
Olson 3 0 0 2
Reisdorfer 3 1 2 2
Cowell 3 1 0 1
Boll 2 0 0 0
Serie 2 0 0 1
Lenz 3 0 0 1
Kracht 2 0 0 0
Franken 1 0 1 0
2B: Smidt
Total Bases: Reisdorfer 2, Smidt 2, Behr, Franken
SB: Behr 2, Olson
 
PITCHING
Luverne IP   H   R   ER  SO
Nath        7    8    5    2    8
Pitches-Strikes: Nath 122-81
Batters Faced: Nath 33
 

Dassel 5, LHS 4
In the second round of elimination play the Cardinals fell 5-4 to Dassel-Cokato in Marshall May 27.
Dassel scored two in the first inning and one in the top of the fifth.
Luverne answered with three runs in the fifth tying the game 3-3.
Dassel was able to score two in the top of the sixth with LHS only able to score once in the bottom.
The Cardinals lost a heartbreaking 5-4 game and were eliminated from the tournament.
Scoring for Luverne in the fifth was Boll off a Kaysie Lenz ground out, Serie scored off a Regan Mehlhaff sacrificed and Behr scored on a Smidt single.
Reisdorfer scored in the sixth with two outs, when Serie reached first on a ground ball.
Behr, Smidt and Olson had the only three hits for Luverne in the game.
Smidt, Lenz and Mehlhaff each had one RBI.
Cowell took the mound for Luverne pitching three innings allowing three hits and two runs, striking out three.
Nath came in to relieve going four innings allowing three runs on four hits, striking out eight.
 

BOX Score
DSSL   2  0 0  0  1 2  0   5
LHS     0  0 0  0  3 1  0   4
 
BATTING
Luverne AB R H   RBI
Behr 4 1 1 0
Smidt 3 0 1 1
Olson 4 0 1 0
Reisdorfer 3 1 0 0
Cowell 3 0 0 0
Boll 3 1 0 0
Serie 2 1 0 0
Lenz 2 0 0 1
Mehlhaff 1 0 0 1
2B: Behr
Total Bases: Behr 2, Olson, Smidt
 
PITCHING
Luverne IP  H  R   ER  SO
Cowell     3    3  2    2   3
Nath        4    4  3    0   8
Pitches-Strikes: Cowell 51-34, Nath 63-46
Batters Faced: Cowell 15, Nath 17

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