VFW

Area athletes compete at VFW All-Star game

MARSHALL — Four Worthington VFW baseball players contributed Thursday in the South’s 16-9 victory over the North in the Dale Erickson Classic. Kirk McBreen started at shortstop and went 4-for-4 with a double, and Steven Kremer, who made his second All-Star appearance and started at catcher, went 1-for-1 to lead the South, which had 19 hits.

August 01, 2008

Worthington VFW team advances to state

GRANITE FALLS — Mitchell Jensen sprinted toward home plate, leaped into his catcher’s arms, pumped his fist and shouted toward the sky. Moments later, as airhorns screamed in the background, the rest of Jensen’s teammates joined in celebration of the Worthington VFW baseball team’s first trip to the state tournament since 2001. Moments earlier, Jensen induced a flyout to secure Worthington’s 11-1, six-inning victory over Tracy in the District 3 VFW Final Four championship game.

July 29, 2008

Slayton VFW team eliminated

GRANITE FALLS — Slayton VFW baseball coach Ryan Beers couldn’t explain it. His team had won three consecutive playoff games and four of its past five overall to advance to Saturday’s VFW Final Four. Beers’ confidence and expectations were high. Slayton, which was playing its best baseball of the summer, was riding a hot streak. The change was abrupt. Looking overmatched and unfocused, Slayton lost two consecutive games Saturday and was eliminated from the playoffs. Slayton lost 6-0 to Marshall Blue and 6-2 to Tracy.

July 28, 2008

Worthington VFW one game from state

GRANITE FALLS — Justin Larson admitted that he wasn’t really thinking. With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday, Worthington VFW baseball coach Ryan Weber ordered his players not to swing until a strike was called. Luckily for Post 3958, Larson disobeyed. He laced the first pitch he saw down the left-field line for a double, sparking a six-run inning that led Worthington to a 10-4 win over Marshall Blue. “We were supposed to take a pitch,” Larson said, “but it was right down the pipe, so I was like, ‘I’m going to swing.’ “I wasn’t really thinking at the time.” The win was the second of the day for Worthington, which defeated Tracy 7-6 earlier in the District 3 VFW Final Four playoffs, and advanced it to the championship game of the double-elimination tournament. Worthington had its five-game winning streak snapped, however, Sunday in a 6-5 loss to Tracy. The two teams will meet today at 6:30 p.m. in Granite Falls, with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Perham.

July 28, 2008

Kremer fulfilling destiny for Worthington

WORTHINGTON — Steven Kremer didn’t have a choice. Beginning when he was about 5 years old, Kremer was forced to be a catcher and trained to be a left-handed hitter. At the fields and at his home in Wilmont, he was shaped and raised to be a baseball player. Kremer didn’t fight it, and he never complained. He simply accepted it for what it was: his destiny.

July 26, 2008

Pipestone rally falls short; Slayton advances with 10-6 victory

PIPESTONE — The Slayton VFW baseball team had a 7-1 lead Monday night and appeared to be cruising to the No. 2 seed out of the Southern Division. However, Pipestone wasn’t giving up easily. Pipestone scored five unanswered runs in the middle innings but was never able to overcome the early deficit, as Slayton advaced with a 10-6 victory.

By Aaron Hagen , July 22, 2008

Munkel pitches Worthington to Southern Division crown

PIPESTONE — Worthington VFW baseball coach Ryan Weber pumped his fist in celebration. His players exploded from the dugout and ran shouting toward home plate.

July 21, 2008

Slayton to face Pipestone for right to advance in Southern Division of VFW playoffs

PIPESTONE — All season long, the Slayton VFW baseball team has used big innings to overcome opponents. Sunday’s playoff games were no different. Slayton used a pair of three-run innings and received a solid pitching performance from Tayler Streff to defeat Luverne 6-3 in the first game Sunday.

By Aaron Hagen , July 21, 2008

Motivational ploy results in playoff victory for Worthington; Pipestone defeats Slayton

WORTHINGTON — A little extra motivation went a long way Thursday in the Worthington VFW baseball team’s 6-2 victory over Adrian. In an effort to get his team fired up, Worthington coach Ryan Weber highlighted and posted an article outside of the home team’s dugout quoting Adrian starting pitcher Luke Tiesler’s desire to “take (Worthington) down.” Weber’s ploy worked. Top-seeded Worthington scored four first-inning runs off Tiesler en route to a second-round playoff victory.

July 18, 2008

McBreen, Jimenez fitting in with Worthington team

WORTHINGTON — Octavio Jimenez and Kirk McBreen didn’t know what to expect. As “outsiders” new to Worthington’s VFW baseball team, the Okabena residents braced for the worst before joining their new team on the diamond this summer.

July 17, 2008

Tiesler earns complete-game victory to set up rematch with Worthington in second round of VFW playoffs

LUVERNE — Luke Tiesler wanted another shot at Worthington. After scattering eight hits and striking out six over a complete-game effort Monday to lead Adrian’s VFW baseball team to a 5-3 victory against Luverne, Tiesler will get his wish.

July 15, 2008

Worthington recovers from blown lead for 11-7 victory against Luverne

WORTHINGTON — It wasn’t pretty, but Worthington VFW baseball coach Ryan Weber said he’ll take it. After blowing a five-run lead in the fifth inning, Worthington recovered Thursday to earn an 11-7 victory over Luverne in a game that featured nine errors, six unearned runs, eight walks and four hit batters.

By Matt Huss , July 11, 2008

Sioux Falls West too much for Worthington

South Dakota guests sweep VFW doubleheader

By Lucas Knutson , July 09, 2008

Luverne VFW tops Adrian

Nine runs in final two innings nets 12-1 triumph

By Les Knutson , July 08, 2008

Worthington scores six runs in bottom of seventh for victory

WORTHINGTON — For six and a half innings, the Slayton VFW baseball team appeared as if they were going to avenge their early-season loss to Worthington. However, Post 3952 came through at the right time with six runs in the bottom of the last inning for an 8-7 victory.

By Aaron Hagen , July 01, 2008