Submitted photo Myron Fluegge poses for a photo with his Senior Softball USA World Championship trophy following the MN Lumberjacks 75AA team’s win in Las Vegas, the team’s fourth title won in Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS — New Ulm’s Myron Fluegge and his MN Lumberjacks 75AA senior softball team came back from the Senior Softball USA World Championships with a national championship of their own. The team played seven games from Sept. 22-24 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This was the team’s fourth championship in Las Vegas, winning in 2024, 2021, and 2014 (65AA).

In the three preliminary seeding games, the team went 1-2. They opened with a convincing 21-4 win over the NW Sage, WA 75AA team, a team they would face several more times in bracket play. The Lumberjacks then lost to a 75AAA team, So Cal Warriors, CA, 17-12. The third seeding game was against the other 75AA team, the Chicago Hitmen, losing 18-15.

Bracket play followed among the three 75AA teams. The first bracket game proved to be the most exciting finish of the tournament. The Lumberjacks scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score 16-16 VS the NW Sage (In senior softball, there is a five-run limit per inning, except for the final open inning). In the final inning, the NW Sage scored two runs. Then in the bottom of the sixth, with two outs and two runners on, the Lumberjacks came up with three clutch hits in a row, to win the game 19-18. Fluegge had the game-tying hit and ended the tournament with 12 hits in 20 at bats.

In the second bracket game, the Lumberjacks got some pay back by defeating the Chicago Hitmen 14-5, and then the Hitmen lost to the NW Sage team, setting up a championship between NW Sage and the Minnesota team. The NW Sage team took control and defeated the Lumberjacks 18-7.

This was the first loss for the Lumberjacks in the double elimination bracket play, bringing about the “if needed” game. It was another good ending for the Lumberjacks as they scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to build an eight-run lead, 17-9, going into the last inning. NW Sage scored just three runs, giving the Lumberjacks a 17-12 Championship win.

Fluegge pitched 33 of the 42 innings, with a record of 4-2, allowing just three walks.

Fluegge, age 80, commented, “I thank God that He has given me the ability to be active in playing softball and doing other activities.”

Besides playing with the Lumberjacks, Fluegge pitched for one of the three St. Paul’s, New Ulm Church League softball teams this past summer, with the team going undefeated at 13-0. He is a registered Minnesota State High School League official in five sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball. Fluegge also enjoys gardening with numerous entries in the Brown County Fair.