Sports Memories by Chuck Anderson

50 years ago: 1967

• The Home Lumber softball team defeated Piggly Wiggly 11-7 to tie for first place in the Albert Lea Women’s Softball League with the losing team. Neva Lembke was the winning pitcher and Rosalle Gleason for Home Lumber.

• In a National Division Church League softball game, winning pitcher Dave Christenson threw a four-hitter and had seven strike outs for Emmons Lutheran in its 2-1 victory over Mansfield.

• The Elbow Room finished the regular season undefeated at 14-0 after defeating COPI 15-1 in an Albert Lea Slowpitch game.

• In the playoffs of the amateur State Line League, Kiester defeated Alden 4-1 to tie its record at one victory each. Dale Haukos was the winning pitcher for Kiester. Bob Hoeg led Alden with three hits.   

25 years ago: 1992

• The Albert Lea Mrs. Gerry’s 14-year-old traveling baseball team won the I-35 League title and finished second in the league tournament. It had a league record of 13-2 and an overall record of 29-19. 

• Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins knocked in the winning run in the ninth inning with two outs in the team’s 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. John Smiley of the Twins pitched a complete game and raised his season record to 12-6.

10 years ago: 2007

• The Minnesota Building Contractors from Albert Lea qualified for the Minnesota State C Men’s Slowpitch tournament by going undefeated at the Cambridge qualifier. Team members were Mark Halbach, Troy DeBoer, Davey Nystrom, Mike Diemer, Buck Nelson, Doug Fink, Jeff Schulz, Todd Taylor, Ryan Long, Greg Severtson, Brad Carlson, Josh Ladwig and Derek Fleek.

• The U-14 Albert Lea boys’ soccer team played in the state tournament. It lost its first game to Coon Rapids, 3-1, with Julio Ambriz scoring for A.L. Cal Pirsig scored two goals in game two, a 2-2 tie with St. Peter. Julio Ambriz scored a goal for A.L. in game three, a 3-1 loss to Glencoe. Albert Lea was shut out 2-0 in the final game by Woodbury.