LUVERNE -- A single run in the bottom of the sixth inning gave Luverne a 4-3 victory over the Worthington Trojans Monday night in a Big South Conference baseball game.
The result erased a strong pitching performance from Worthington’s Jake Brandner, who went the distance while allowing seven hits and striking out nine. He hit three batters and walked one.
Worthington scored two runs in the top of the first inning as Danny Pavelko led off with a single and stole second base. Isaiah Noble followed with a walk. Coy Turner singled home Pavelko, and Noble scored on a miscue in the outfield on the same play.
The Trojans never trailed until Luverne broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth. After a single by Riley Sneller and another single by Kaden Anderson put runners on first and third base, the Cardinals attempted a steal. The runner on third came home on the ensuing throw to second.
“Jake did very well pitching,” said WHS head coach Skyler Wenninger. “At the end of the day, mistakes -- a mental error -- cost us the game. It was a winnable game.”
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The loss dropped Worthington to 6-9 on the season while Luverne advanced to 16-1.
Less than a week earlier, head coaches Mike Wenninger of LHS and new coach Skyler of the Trojans coached against each other for the first time. In that meeting, Luverne scored 10 first-inning runs at Worthington and prevailed 19-9.
In the rematch, Luverne used three pitchers. Bailey Cowell started and went two innings. Braydon Ripka pitched three frames, and Connor Connell pitched the last two.
Connell, a freshman, was credited with the victory.
Ethan Beyer had two hits for Luverne.
For Worthington, Pavelko had one hit, scored once and was walked. Kent Lais was 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. Brandner was 1-for-4. Turner was 2-for-4. And Damon Schutz and Nathan Van Orman had a hit apiece.
R-H-E
Worthington 210 000 0 -- 3 7 3
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Luverne 101 011 x -- 4 7 1
