I so enjoy this time of the year. The seasons swiftly come and go and with them comes the thought of all the various changes that time in flight has brought. The birds are singing, the grass has turned green and the lawns look like rich green carpet. The leaves on the trees have popped open and the first flowers have begun to appear. The colorful tulips can be seen, the lilac bushes are in full bloom, the flowering crab trees are covered with beautiful flowers and you can see the first hints of corn rows in the fields.

I hope we can realize that traveling along life's highway can be beautiful and enriching. The beginning and the destination depend upon us and our attitude.

It is disappointing for me to see all the garbage that people carelessly throw along the road. As we travel life's highway, help us to keep the roads in excellent traveling condition through constant observation and necessary repairs. Observe all the signs as the roads are full of dangerous curves and detours. Spring also brings on the season of construction and it is important to slow down in those areas. It is better to be safe than sorry. I hope that we travel wisely and enjoy.

Speaking of traveling, we recently went for a drive on familiar roads we had not driven for a while. Well, not even that long ago. It was like going on an excursion. So many things had changed, grown, been tore down, rebuilt, moved or modified. Some of the people who lived there still do but others have moved on. You don't have to go on a cruise or to a foreign country to see and do different things because we have so much right here to see at home.

My mother and I drove to Clarks Grove in hopes of finding the plants that she needed at Sonshine Gardens. The place was filled to the max with flowers and more than full of cemetery urns, so spectacular in color and quality. You have to love what you're doing to have such a large number of plants to take care of and Michelle at Sonshine Gardens does. Michelle once told me that one of her biggest thrills in life is seeing the miracle of those little dried up seeds coming to life in the spring. If anyone needs proof of the resurrection, that is one of them. Seeing a greenhouse full of cemetery urns filled with flowers that are in their prime, waiting to be distributed to the various cemeteries for Memorial Day, was breathtaking. It is obvious that she cares and puts a great deal of love in every pot that she plants.

And that isn't enough; she offers the service for caring for the flowers over the hot summer days too and makes sure that they are given the water they desperately need. Many people, especially those who no longer live in the area really appreciate this service as they know that the flowers they have set out in memory of loved ones will be taken care of.

How Michelle does all the things she does it I will never know, but like she said she couldn't if it weren't for the love she has for her profession. She is always looking for new varieties of flowers to try and it seems that every year her garden just gets better.

While preparing to leave Clarks Grove my mother asked if I would mind stopping at the used book store. She was hoping to find a book she has been wanting to read.  Surrounded by books of every kind and description is like being in second heaven for my mother. She gets a little envious.

I look at all my books, as well as all the books that my mother has, and think of how we could, and should, be sharing some of the information and stories in them with others. Our minds have thought we too should have a used book store, exchange, or a library of used book here in Geneva or Ellendale. One of the old classrooms at the Geneva Community Center, or the vacant pizza parlor on the "Top Of The Hill" in Ellendale would be perfect.

There is so much good stuff in books to learn about and enjoy.  People could also share magazines too; they are too good to throw away but too easy to pile up and contribute to the clutter.

There is a bit of sadness we experienced as we were going by the Clarks Grove Hardware. Bill is closing. He was always able to find just what we were looking for. The Clarks Grove Hardware was a big hardware store and impressive. Meanwhile the committee in charge of the heritage building they built in Clarks Grove are busy with their project.

I remember the saying that my uncle Paul developed, "Clarks Grove, the nicest town, in the most progressive county, in the finest state, and greatest country in the world."

Memorial Day will soon be upon us and we hope that we are able to keep this country and family unit strong and God centered. Help us to maintain the dignity and worth of each individual. Let us not be complacent about our country and forget the reason for its very founding. May we always recall the sacrifices made in the past so that freedom and liberty can exist in this, the present, and in the future.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, May 14th: Clair Dahl, Linda Olson, Anna Mae Peterson, her 10th; Katie Peterson, Ginger Thompson, Bruce Waage, Brad Wayne, Judy VerHey, Mark VerHey, Jeff Christensen, Shannon Krikava

• Friday, May 15th: Carter Hagen, Evan Dobberstein, Megan Grubish, Alex Wayne, Mark Flesche, Dan Hagen, Don Hagen, Nicole Strand Harris, Stephanie Krueger, Neil Berg, Sandy Jensen, Marsha Neitzell, Tammy Thompson, Brett & Jessica Richards, Ralph & Irene Krueger, Jon & Nicole Farr

• Saturday, May 16th: Ron Kubicek, Mark Reistad, Mark Skroch, Vernie Stieglbauer, Kim Lageson, Doug Lembke, Judy Karsjens, Anne Larson, Allycia Zinke, Becky Phagan, Bev White, Annie Larson, Christine & Brian Carlson

• Sunday, May 17th: Laura Caroline Deml, her 8th; Caitlyn Nelson, David Thompson, Dale DeRaad, Rhonda Lund Thevenot, Jerry Blouin, Robert Briggs, Dyne Thereneau, Kay Barclay, Darlyne Paulson, Judith Hatch, Thomas Shawback, Rose & Carl Glienke

• Monday, May 18th: Blake Ihrke, Zachary Jacob Dau, Cory Bailey, David Farr, Arlene Busho, Arlene Cummins, Xan Johnson, Mandy Muri Johannsen, Charlie Hanson, Dan Schember, Hank Thompson, Carol Stohr, Roger Draayer, Kelly Krumwiede, Rod Serdahl, Dan & Val Schember, Sue & Dean Westrum, Ken & Pat Sable

• Tuesday, May 19th: Christina Hill Berry, Madison Schweirjohann, Summer Schember Schultz, Mike Rysavy, John Oolman, Dawn Parks, Tim & Tiffany Hanson

• Wednesday, May 20th: Oakley Baker, Kaye Schember Cady, Laureen Hohansee, Kathy Hanson, Hannah Ashton, Carrie Thorstenson, Penny Nordhorn, Haley Collins, Scott Stohr, Kevin Peterson, Kent Lageson, Josh Kelly, Virginia Jensen, Cynthia Butler, Jay & Marsha Neitzel, Ed & Camille Nelson, Hannah Ashton, Adam & Kristen Arends

Celebrating with you as you mark another year.  Hoping that your day is filled with famiy, friends and cheer!

Whenever I make that first visit to the cabin, I go there expecting a few surprises. This past week my wife Jean accompanied me to our cabin for the first visit of the season. I always expect the unexpected because in past years I have been greeted with downed trees or winter damage to the roof or chimney. This time Jean and I were pleasantly surprised by an uneventful first visit. After settling in, Jean cleaned the inside of the cabin while I busied myself raking leaves and putting our small boat on the trailer in anticipation of the next visit.

One evening as Jean was sitting on the deck she called out to me to come quick because there was an animal out there that she had never seen before. I came out just in time to see this large porcupine walking away from the cabin past our wood pile towards the woods. It was definitely on a mission and never once did it look back. I had never been that close to a porcupine before so I had never realized what a nice looking animal they are. This is just another example of why I like having a cabin in the north woods. We had sighted numerous deer on the way up on this trip which should bode well for hunters in the fall. On our first day Jean walked down to the lake and was greeted by the resident beaver swimming back and forth in front of the dock.

Over the years we have seen deer, wolves, a badger, many eagles both bald and American, and a variety of birds. On this trip we had numerous visitors to the feeders including purple finches, black capped chickadees, nuthatches, three species of woodpeckers, bluejays, sparrows and robins that weren’t actually at the feeders but just hanging out. One year we arrived at the cabin late at night and as we unloaded the truck we could hear the wolves howling in the distance. We also have numerous waterfowl visiting the lake and there is nothing more peaceful than listening to the loons calling during the night. One year we did have a skunk visit the area, but luckily it hasn’t been a recurring thing.

Yes, if you are an outdoors lover, then a visit to this area of the state will definitely be worthwhile. If you like to camp there are numerous National Forest campgrounds in the area which offer campsites at a very reasonable price. The Chippewa National Forest has many nice campgrounds to visit and some lakes within the forest offer first-come, first-serve campsites that are free to use.

Our cabin sits just three miles north of the small village of Talmoon which boasts the “oldest bar in Minnesota” and across the road there is Little Turtle Lake store which is a convenience store that offers everything from gas and propane to groceries, bait and tackle, fishing and hunting licenses and souvenirs. They also have the best waffle cones in the area. I guess I am making this sound like an advertisement, but it’s not meant to be. I just appreciate the convenience of the store and the nice folks who own it.

While I was raking the yard I took a break and sat on the bench that we have facing the lake. As I looked at the trail going down the steep hill to the lake I could almost see the grandkids as they busily ran up and down that hill to fish or swim in our little lake. While they were growing up they loved to spend time at the lake and they were down there from the time they got up until darkness chased them up to the cabin.

I don’t know how many nights those kids spent fighting mosquitoes while cleaning fish by lantern, but they did it and never once did they complain because it was all good. Trevor, my oldest grandson, never did spend a lot of time in the cabin, If he wasn’t fishing he was changing line, tying on new lures or re-arranging his tackle box.

I have a few pictures of the time that I and my son Brian and grandsons Trevor and Taylor went up to clear the land so we could build the cabin. It was a lot of work, but those boys worked hard and between the four of us we got the spot cleared and were eventually able to start building. When we did start building Brad and my grandson Dylan were also there helping us. I guess this is why our cabin means so much to me; it’s been a family venture and, although it’s not a mansion and still doesn’t have running water, we did finally get electricity a couple of years ago. We actually didn’t have any plans on getting electricity any time soon but the opportunity presented itself so I had to take advantage of it.

As I sat looking down that trail to the lake a sad feeling came over me because I realized all too well that those times we enjoyed with the grandsons are gone and will not be coming back. The good thing is the memories of those times will always be there to enjoy whenever I want to dial them in.

MUSKIE TALK

The May meeting of Cross Roads Chapter 54 of Muskies Inc. was Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the Eagles Club in Owatonna. Our meetings include updates, door prizes, raffle and lots of muskie talk. You need not be a member to attend. Bring a friend and help improve muskie fishing in Southern Minnesota.

Until next time, the weather is getting nice and the fish should be biting, so take some time to get out and enjoy the great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers' Club Meeting

You know what they say?

No, what do they say.

They say, "You know what they say?"

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: Practice does not always make purfekt.

The cafe chronicles

I was hungry. All of my swallows had gone back to Capistrano. I prefer a small cafe, even if a salad is nothing more than a sprig of parsley resting on a steak, over the franchised wines and dins.

I ordered the unusual. The food went from skillet to gullet in record time. The catch of the day was a baseball. A man at the table of infinite knowledge locked a lip over a coffee cup. He thought that tipping a waitress meant giving her a shove.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, I can still complain," he complained.

He thought the coffee had too much sugar in it, until he realized he was drinking the maple syrup. I’d have had to nudge my way into the conversation.

I heard, "The coffee is as tough as the steaks. It’s so bad that each cup seems bottomless. The hamburgers aren't that good, but each one comes with a free packet of ketchup."

I’ll be checking the traplines

My wife asked me to pick up a couple of mousetraps. I didn't know that we celebrated the birthdays of any mice or that she had her mind set on having a mouse fur coat.

I headed out early in the morning. I was catching a flight to Texas. I planned to stop and buy the mousetraps, leave them in my car parked in a gigantic lot and employ them when I got home. The city with the hardware store had parking meters. If they couldn’t get you for going too fast, they’d get you for remaining still. I found the mousetraps quickly and got in the checkout line. I liked the place. It was homey, hardwarey, and they didn't have my email address. That meant I wouldn’t get a survey from them. A survey is nothing more than a homework assignment. The man ahead of me had a cart heaped high with things. He was a nice fellow and asked if I’d like to go ahead of him. There were no 10 items or less or 10 items or fewer lanes. I declined saying that I had plenty of time to catch my plane. He looked at the two mousetraps, likely thinking that they were much too small to catch an airplane.

Driving Mrs. Batt crazy

I spent the day in my wife’s company. Small world, huh? Unless you have to paint it. I drove her new car. It was a learning experience.

My 14-year-old granddaughter has talked of the delights of one day being a licensed driver. It will be a learning experience. Her father’s chances of getting enough sleep have diminished.

If your wife is right, agree with her. If you are right, don't tell your wife. This rule applies to granddaughters as well as wives.

We all struggle

Mike Kingery of Atwater, Minnesota, played major league baseball for the Royals, Mariners, Giants, Athletics, Rockies and Pirates. Mike and his family, he has eight children, formed a bluegrass and gospel band. He and his wife Chris moved 54 times in 15 years during his baseball career. I enjoyed listening to their music. There was no forced clapping during their performances. I like that in a band. Mike downplayed his musical abilities by saying that people watch the Kingery Family just to see an MLB player struggle on bass.

The next day, I looked at a maple tree that I’d planted years ago. Its rapid growth pleased me, but it reminded me of how quickly time passes. We start at the top of a playground slide. Once we let go, we go quickly. I’d visited an Alzheimer's unit recently — a place for good people whose minds had betrayed them. There was a slow failing of human machines. People were treated with gentle care as they waited to die. The parade of life passes quickly from life’s sweet beginnings. Most of us will end up struggling on bass.

Nature notes

When birds perch on a power line, they don’t form a complete circuit, so the electricity doesn’t flow through them. Larger birds are electrocuted when they come into contact with a second wire, completing the circuit.

Meeting adjourned

Be kind just because.

(Apologies to “Weird Al” Yankovic for the title to this week’s column!)

People often ask me where I get the ideas for my columns. The simple fact is that I look at life all around me and often will find the germ of an idea from one sentence I hear uttered. Case in point is this week. Jayna mentioned liking the idea of being the first group picked up by the bus for a softball tournament because then she would get one of the “good” seats in the back of the bus.

I’m not sure there is such a thing as a “good” seat on a school bus. However, I remember thinking the same way growing up. Kids always seem eager to be one of the oldest on the bus so they can sit in those coveted rear seats. It always seemed that the absolute coolest kid got that short seat in the very back that could fit only one bottom. (I never got that seat.)

Anton, too, was telling me about some things that happened on the bus this past week. He rides over to New Richland after school most days to hang out with me until I’m done with work. It’s quite the craziness he gets to see with a bus full of kids excited to be done with another day of enforced labor at the salt mines. He told me about the bus driver having to chew out some kids when they reached their destination since they couldn’t stick to BIS (butts in seats).

Mr. Cyr used to tell me to get my bus driver license so I could haul my own sports teams to events. I knew better than that, though. If I walked that path, I’d get calls to cover routes and other really fun activities. Even today, I’ll hear the occasional nudge to think about doing that. No way! Bus drivers perform such a vital function, but are too often underappreciated. You don’t often hear about great bus drivers, but you always hear about ones kids don’t like.

I had one of each growing up. We lived a few miles out in the country, so I hopped on the bus every morning to see Maynard, an older gentleman who seemed like he didn’t care much about anything except getting there and back again. When I was in elementary school, some of the older boys stole my winter hat and played keep away. I went and told Maynard, who assured me they’d give it back. As we got closer to my drop-off point, I frantically told him again that I needed my hat, to no avail. When we reached my school, the boys tossed my hat out the window. Maynard noted that I could now get my hat.

Maynard was so oblivious that he once hit a fire engine… on its way to a fire. Since you can’t leave the scene of an accident, that particular fire truck never made it to its destination. Nobody was hurt, but when you’re in early elementary school and stuck on a bus for an hour as the police investigate and question people, it can be pretty traumatic.

After Maynard retired, we had Greg take over. Greg was one of those awesome bus drivers who would lay down the law when needed, but also treated you like a person. I was in trouble once for messing around with some other kids, but after a week of being stuck in the front seat, I had certainly learned my lesson.

Greg was lenient when it suited him. One of my favorite memories was the great catfight I saw while I was in middle school. Two high school girls, clearly not enamored with each other, got to arguing one day in the rearmost seats. I was about five rows up and whirled around when I heard their voices rise in pitch. Just in time too, as they hurled themselves at each other and began the hair pulling. But it didn’t stop there! One of the girls threw the other back into the seat, then reached down and tore up the seat behind her, intending to use it for bodily harm.

It was finally at this point that Greg decided to stop the bus. I had been sneaking glances toward the front and saw that he very well knew what was going on, but was enjoying the show. However, when the bus had been damaged, it was time to step in. I’m still amazed at the feat of strength it must have taken to rip up that seat!

Riding the bus as a coach or teacher is not my favorite part of the job, but I tolerate it and often muse on those long-gone days when riding the bus was an adventure every day!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is shilpit, which means feeble or worthless, as in, “I felt rather shilpit as the older boys laughed while bullying me on the bus.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs were clicking again and the Weather Eye from the ’74 Gremlin has become their “go to” weather predicting apparatus. Will our good weather fortunes continue or are we in for a downturn? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Partly cloudy Thursday with a good chance of rain in the forenoon. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Friday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a morning shower. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny and warmer for Saturday with an increasing chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy with slight chance for continued rain for Monday. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy. Highs in the low 70’s with los in the mid-50’s. The normal high for May 15th is 69 and the normal low is 48. The scurs will be looking forward to next week’s fan mail after seeing how the recent forecast turns out.

Another week of some slow but steady progress as crops continue to emerge. So far so good, there have been few problems aside from perhaps some self-inflicted ones. Corn could be rowed easily, especially in black fields. Some minor weed pressure thus far, although one might’ve surmised that would be the case with the generally light and spotty precipitation that has fallen since herbicides were applied. This is why we are using multiple sites of action as well as keeping equipment such as rotary hoes at the ready just in case. Soybeans planted on April 17th could be rowed by the end of last week and given the predicted rains for the upcoming week, should have no problem emerging. Small grains have really liked the type of spring we’ve had thus far. On the cool side but dry so leaf diseases haven’t been an issue yet. The pea plantings are also enjoying the conditions. After a couple years’ worth of ratty looking pea fields in particular, it’s a welcome sight.

Trying my best over the weekend, was able to get the pasture and hay ground fertilized along with some new seeding that was to be established. The kindly neighbor had asked me if I’d be interested in putting some hay in on a steep slope that had some erosion problems. Easier said than done when you don’t have enough of your own equipment, so with the kindly neighbor’s help, the field got worked. And with the kindness of neighbor David’s grandson, I was able to borrow a seeder to properly place the small seeded forages. For the acreage, the amount of seed came out just about perfect. Sometimes the sun, the moon and the stars do align.

The bellering at the ranch has subsided for yet another year. While it takes a couple days the results are always the same nonetheless. The ewes are happy to be munching on plentiful green grass and the lambs are glad they’re not competing with their mothers for a place at the feed trough. The person paying the feed bill is also happier as chore time gets chopped significantly. About the only ones who aren’t as happy are Fudgie and Ruby. Border Collies simply can’t get enough of that stuff.

Something else they don’t get enough of is brushing. It was time again on Sunday and with the windy conditions, it was like a dog hair tornado at times. Huge wads of hair flew up over the house and into the trees. It was too bad actually as I had planned on saving it and mailing some to Auntie Mar Mar. She still remarks about the last time we did that. I’m not positive but suspect she might be using it to stuff some of her craft projects.

More new arrivals in the bird department this past week at the ranch. An orchard oriole showed up on the 7th, a couple days after the first Baltimore oriole. A house wren was singing in the back yard on the 8th and the first white-crowned sparrow made a brief appearance and was gone on the 9th. Earlier in the low light of the morning I spied what appeared to be a small, dark colored bird at the thistle feeder. Too small and not chunky enough for a junco I thought. As the sun was higher in the sky, his true bright-blue colors showed: It was our first indigo bunting of the season. Still no hummingbirds but it’s still early. They may have been here and we just missed them.

Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer came through with more information concerning the aforementioned moon and stars. Venus has been low in the western sky and the yellow color has made it the predominant feature in the evening sky until it sets some three or so hours after sunset. On the 20th, the crescent moon will be under Venus. Jupiter is also yellow and high overhead, although with no bottle lambs to feed, viewing it occurs only occasionally. Saturn, as Dale Niedfeldt points out in his column, rises in the southeast sky shortly past sunset. He states that it is brighter than usual as the rings are wide open. A 30 power telescope or more is needed to see the rings. 

Speaking of rings, I saw the noted Swedish astronomer working on his shed last week. I waved as I drove by then went north to look at some corn fields. The drive was pleasant and gave me some time to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, something I don’t get to do as often as I’d sometimes like. I came back by the astronomer’s way again later during a short cloudburst and noticed he was standing inside the shed gazing out. I gave him a ring to make sure a nap hadn’t interfered with his progress. After all, that’s what friends are for.

See you next week…real good then.

Funeral services for Alice Gulbrandson, age 94, of Albert Lea will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 14, 2015 at East Freeborn Lutheran Church. Rev. Matt Griggs will officiate. Interment will be at East Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Alice died Saturday, May 9, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Society.

Alice Gulbrandson was born May 30, 1920 in New Richland, the daughter of Oscar and Clara (Knudson) Rugroden.  She was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland. Alice graduated from New Richland High School and went on to graduate from the Mankato Teachers College. She taught at Geneva, Lerdal and Hoidal Schools. On September 27, 1947 Alice was united in marriage to Howard Gulbrandson in New Richland. Alice continued substitute teaching for a short time at Lerdal School after her marriage.

Superintendent speaks out on purpose behind referendum

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

A question is being asked in communities, and it goes sort of like this: Why, in this time of declining enrollment and tight money, do we need to spend $14 million on a new gym and new classrooms?

NRHEG Schools Superintendent Dr. Dennis Goodwin had a few things to say about that in his office last Wednesday.

“We need to focus on what we’re trying to do for our kids,” he told the Star Eagle.

“Right now we’re graduating 94 percent of our students, as compared to the state average of 80 percent. That’s still not good.”

Goodwin wants to graduate 100 percent, and for those graduates to have stayed because the school found a way to excite them and give them what they needed.

Classrooms

“In the old days, every child began school pretty much the same. But today some have no skills, some have some skills and not others.”

The NRHEG High School softball team continued a successful spring, posting four consecutive victories in recent play.

The Panthers hung a 32-0 embarrassment on Medford April 20, defeated Bethlehem Academy 7-5 on April 28 and swept United South Central in a doubleheader April 30, improving their record to 6-1 in the Gopher Conference and 6-2 overall.

NRHEG 32, Medford 0

With a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Kelli Harrington hit a three-run inside-the-park home run that sailed over the left fielder’s head at Medford.

RECORD PACE — Tyler Schlaak, right, hands off to John Cole during the 4x800-meter relay at Blooming Prairie Tuesday, April 28. The relay team broke the NRHEG school record. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

A couple weeks ago, NRHEG boys’ track and field coach Duey Ferber hinted that we could be looking at a school record in the not too distant future.

Now we know why.

The 4x800-meter relay foursome of Tyler Schlaak, John Cole, Nate Krause and Josh Flemming accomplished the feat at the Blooming Prairie True Team meet on Tuesday, April 28, winning with a time of 8:37.33. It broke the old mark of 8:42 set in 2004 by Tim Rysavy, Matt Reiter, John Coffield and Brian Boss.

Last week was a rough one for the NRHEG High School baseball team, which dropped a 10-6 decision to Bethlehem Academy on Tuesday and lost both ends of a doubleheader to United South Central on Thursday.

Coach Drew Paukert’s Panthers saw their record slide to 4-4 in the Gopher Conference and 5-5 overall.

Bethlehem Academy 10, NRHEG 6

The Panthers hosted the rematch hoping to sweep one of the conference favorites. Instead, the visitors put six runs on the board with one out in the top of the sixth to earn a series split.

The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, sparked by a two-run home run by Christian VonRuden.