The Spring Grove boys used a big five-run inning to upend state-ranked No. 4 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro, 6-4, on May 19, Senior Day and the final regular-season home game at Blayne Onsgard Memorial Field. The win assures the Lions finishing at .500 or better for the season. Through the first five innings, the non-conference encounter was a pitchers’ duel between Lion Ty … [Read more...]
Spring Grove bats finally prevail in sub-section softball
The Spring Grove girls banged out a season-high 11 base hits while eliminating Schaeffer Academy, 14-9, in the Sub-section 1A East play-in game on May 19 at Spring Grove. But the Schaeffer girls (those other Lions) also had 11 hits and jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Spring Grove had never trailed in either of the two double header games the teams had played three days … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: It was all downhill into Crooked Creek Valley
Part two of a series It cost 25 cents to ride the train from Freeburg to Caledonia. The train would pick you up wherever you were. Rural students could take 18-cent rides to high school in Caledonia. The train provided transportation from Caledonia to Little Miami with its the well-water swimming pool and tavern. But that all ended on June 16, 1946. It was a beautiful, … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Most of the sows and their babies came back home
Part one of a series Birds were singing on a bright and beautiful Sunday morning with healthy crops in the field, according to Margaret Goetzinger. June 16, 1946, was a special day for the family with Alvin Goetzinger’s baby daughter, Joan Kay, having been baptized that morning at Crooked Creek Peace Church. However, the day became very hot, humid and windy. By late … [Read more...]
Early runs hold up for 2-1 Lion baseball loss to Kenyon-Wanamingo
The game’s first two batters scored for a 2-0 Kenyon-Wanamingo lead. The first Spring Grove batter scored. No one else would score as the visiting Knights edged the Lions, 2-1 in a May 16 non-conference contest that will surely figure into Section 1A tournament seeding for both clubs. For Spring Grove (8-6), it was the third straight loss, all by one-run margins. Both teams … [Read more...]
Spring Grove enjoys softball sweep of Schaeffer
The Spring Grove girls swept a May 16 softball double header against visiting Schaeffer Academy, 6-4 and 16-7. Both games were scheduled for five innings. Spring Grove was the home team (batting last) in the opener and the visiting team (batting first) in the nightcap. Spring Grove scored in the first inning of each game and never trailed. The Grove girls improved to 5-9 … [Read more...]
Six Cal/SG track boys are conference champions, All-TRC
The Caledonia/Spring Grove boys broke the meet record while winning the 4x200-meter relay, and six Warriors earned all-conference acclaim at the Three Rivers Conference Track and Field Championships on May 13 at Elgin. Cal/SG won two relay titles and took first place in three individual events. Despite competing in only 11 of the 18 events, the boys placed third among 10 teams … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys sustain two walk-off losses at R-P Tourney
Spring Grove lost two walk-off games, both in extra innings at the Rushford Peterson Tournament on May 13. The Lions opened with a disheartening 3-2 setback against Goodhue before dropping the third-place game 6-5 to host Rushford-Peterson. Spring Grove out-hit both opponents but was foiled by errors against Goodhue and stranded 10 runners versus Rushford-Peterson. SG … [Read more...]
Spring Grove walk-off win provides softball split with Rushford-Peterson
The Spring Grove girls scored four runs in the final inning for a walk-off 7-6 win over Rushford-Peterson to earn a doubleheader split after a 20-10 run-rule loss to the Trojans in the first game. In the nightcap, the Lions were within one strike of a loss when Siri Konkel singled home the tying and winning runs. In the Saturday, May13 twin bill at Rushford, Spring Grove … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Her candy bar lasted seven days, his only minutes
If her father drove the horse and buggy to town for groceries, he would bring back candy for the children. However, if her mother went with him, there would be no candy. Mother thought they could not afford it during the Great Depression era of the 1930s. A long-time resident of Spring Grove, 98-year-old Beatrice (Hatling) Doely reflected on growing up on a farm between the … [Read more...]