Summer is all about being outdoors. Whether you play softball or baseball — or jog — proper stretching
can reduce the risk of injury to your arms and legs. Below are 10 basic arm stretches that might not
improve your performance, but should reduce your injury risk and leave you less sore the day after game day.
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Pitching and hitting can only win you so many games, as Hutchinson found out Thursday in the opening game of the Second District VFW playoffs.
Leading 6-4 in the fifth inning, a potential third out on a pop fly into shallow right field that dropped led to three runs as Mankato upended Hutchinson, 7-6.
Three consecutive errors at shortstop led to the final two runs off starter Gabe Goodwater, who allowed just three earned runs in the game.

Dennis Piechowski came to the Hutchinson Huskies in the spring of 1991, a few years out of college, having already played ball in the southern Minnesota town of Wellcome.
His goal was to play amateur ball until the age of 40. One week ago, he turned 45.
“When I was just out of college, I made the goal to play to 40. When I reached that age, Hutchinson was going to host the state tournament the next year, so I thought I better stay on for that. Forty-one was an odd number, so I decided why not 45,” Piechowski said.

The Hutchinson Legion baseball team (8-11) will began the sub-district playoffs in a 7 p.m. game tonight at Lions Park in Chaska.
The first round is a best-of-three series with game two scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Field. A third game, if necessary, will take place back in Chaska later that afternoon.
Post 96 has exited from the Second District playoffs in the opening round the past two seasons.

The summer tennis season has come to a close for the Hutchinson Aces, but this came after a solid effort from a short-handed squad that came up 12 points short of a top-three finish.
The top three teams (Sioux Falls, S.D., Minnetonka and Reed Sweatt Tennis Center) from the Shakopee Tournament advanced to sectionals later this month.
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RACING: Sunday’s Liberty Station Hobby feature at Redwood Speedway saw Matt Speckman of Sleepy Eye lead the first 14 laps of the race with Chris Plamann of Hutchinson on his tail.
On the restart following a yellow flag, Plamann was able to move through the field and take the lead from Speckman on the 15th lap.
Tim Pessek of Hutchinson, who started in 11th place, was following Plamann around the track waiting for a moment to pass, but never got it.
Patrick Kohn of Hutchinson followed Pessek and took third place ahead of Adam Ecker of Comfrey.

By Abigail Popp
News intern
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Health services in Hutchinson, McLeod County, Litchfield, and Meeker County
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Support groups in Hutchinson, McLeod County, Litchfield, and Meeker County
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When Becky Felling retired as McLeod County public health director in April, she didn’t know her name would turn up on election ballots this September.
Felling considered running for County Board at least a couple years ago, but retirement finally allowed her the time to do it. Board Chair Grant Knutson’s announcement that he would step down after his term expired this year also opened the door.
“I figured Knutson would run again,” she said. “He’s a sharp man.”