Red Cow/Minnesota Masters defend 70+ title

Submitted story

The Red Cow/Minnesota Masters team went 5-0 in a nine-team national championship tourney Sept. 11-13, to defend its title in the 70+ division.

Team scores were, in Pool Play: 8-2 over Lancaster, PA, and 15-0 over The Travelers from Florida. Then in bracket play they defeated Seattle, Washington 5-0, Lancaster, PA, in a rematch 8-1, and the Texas Stars 6-3 in the title game.

Area team members were Buck Uecker-Howard Lake, Jim Bartels-New Ulm, Lu Heller-Odin, Dick Klitzke-Hutchinson, Dolf Moon-Hutchinson and Dave Dewitz-Vernon Center. Klitzke was hitting a torrid .714 when he got hurt halfway through the tourney.

In the championship, Red Cow came from behind with a six-hit, six-run bottom of the sixth inning to reverse the 3-0 lead Texas had built up.

Red Cow/Minnesota Masters manager Dolf Moon said, "In all of our 30-plus years of playing in the Masters championships, this was a most memorable win with the big rally late in the game.”

The team batting average for the tourney was .428 and the team's pitching ERA was 1.20. (All 5 games pitched by tourney Pitching MVP Scott O’Brien.)

Co-manager Jim Bartels commented after the title game.

"We have won the 70+ title three of the past four years, and despite having two of our players get tourney-ending injuries during the games, we still showed our strength in our depth to win it all. The .428 batting average, along with 1.20 ERA and solid defense makes it all work. The Texas club was an especially strong team, but we hung in there and had a great comeback inning."

Over half of the team hails from Minnesota, while rest come from other states.

Also from the area, Brett Klabunde-Brownton, was a member of the 65+ Ohio Battery team that won that division championship.