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Fairmont baseball sweeps Waseca

FAIRMONT — Sam Schwieger, Nate Kallenbach and Nick Eversman swung potent bats during Saturday’s Big South baseball doubleheader at Herb Wolf Field.

Schwieger went 4-for-7 with a twinbill-best six RBIs, Eversman went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Kallenbach went 3-for-5 with two triples, three RBIs and four runs scored to engineer Fairmont’s sweep of the Waseca Bluejays.

Schwieger fired a four-hit complete-game shutout for good measure during the Cardinals’ 16-0, five-frame opening victory before starting pitcher Lance Becker and reliever Brady Allen combined on a five-hitter to pace a 12-2, five-inning win.

“Toss out our season-opener against New Ulm, and our pitching has been solid for us all season,” said Fairmont co-head coach Jerry Brooks, whose mound trio allowed only one earned run in 10 innings. “Today, we hit the ball with authority.”

Kallenbach and Eversman combined to account for four of the Cardinals’ nine extra-base hits en route to 20 on the two-game span.

In fact, Schwieger’s bases-clearing double highlighted Fairmont’s eight-run first-inning explosion in Game 1 before the senior right-hander held Waseca’s batting order in check for the duration.

Jordan Wolter walked and Schwieger singled to set the table for the home team’s first at-bat before Becker and Eversman contributed RBI singles and Camren Saxton lofted a sacrifice fly to build an early 8-0 lead.

Collin Steuber’s double, Kallenbach’s RBI triple and two of the Bluejays’ six opening-game errors led to three third-inning runs before the Cardinals produced five more runs on four hits in the fourth frame. Colby Kuhl lashed a leadoff double to set the fourth-inning tone, Zac Ringnell singled, while pinch hitter Dustin Schultz and Schwieger delivered RBI singles to fuel the offensive surge.

Schwieger worked around singles by Cameron Madsen and Rily Sylvester in the second before scattering two more hits to earn the four-hit shutout. Schwieger struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Fairmont, who was the visitor on the scoreboard in Game 2, built a 4-1 lead after four completed innings before erupting for eight runs in the top of the fifth.

Eversman’s double triggered the offensive avalanche, with Steuber delivering an RBI single, Wolter connecting for a sacrifice fly and Schwieger smacking a two-run single. Kallenbach contributed a run-scoring hit, while Allen and Jacob Tennyson were hit by pitches with the bases loaded for one RBI apiece.

With two out in the top of the first, Kallenbach and Becker crushed back-to-back triples before Eversman followed with an RBI double to ignite a quick 2-0 lead. Wolter’s RBI double and a Waseca error led to two more runs in the Fairmont second.

Riley Sylvester doubled and added a sacrifice fly for the Bluejays in Game 2, Joe Hagen lined an RBI single, while Zach Hoehn chipped in a run.

Becker allowed one unearned run on three hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk in four innings of work to earn the victory for the Cardinals in Game 2. Allen gave up one earned run on two hits, fanned one and did not walk anyone in one inning of relief.

“Today was a good day for our overall morale. Tuesday’s game with Marshall, however, will help get us ready for the upcoming section tournament by facing a playoff-caliber team,” said Brooks. “It’ll be nice to have four days to practice this week for a change. That should allow us to work on game situations.”

Fairmont (10-7) plays host to Marshall in a 5 p.m. regular-season finale on Tuesday at Herb Wolf Field. The Cardinals await the results of today’s seeding meeting for their first-round opponent, site and time next Saturday in the Section 3AA playoffs.

(Game 1)

WAS 000 00 — 0 4 6

FMT 803 5x — 16 11 0

Cameron Madsen (LP), Chandler Tangen (1) and Zach Hoehn. Sam Schwieger (WP) and Zac Ringnell.

LOB–Fairmont 4; Waseca 3. 2B–Schwieger (F), Colby Kuhl (F), Collin Steuber (F). 3B–Nate Kallenbach (F). SF–Camren Saxton (F).

(Game 2)

FMT 220 08 — 12 9 3

WAS 000 11 — 2 5 3

Lance Becker (WP), Brady Allen (5) and Zac Ringnell, Daniel Reiter (5). Matt Olsem (LP), Cameron Madsen (5) and Zach Hoehn.

LOB–Fairmont 9; Waseca 6. 2B–Nick Eversman (F) 2, Jordan Wolter (F), Rily Sylvester (W), Hoehn (W). 3B–Nate Kallenbach (F), Lance Becker (F). SF–Wolter (F), Sylvester (W). SAC–Ringnell (F).

Fairmont downed Waseca in B-squad action, 9-4, Saturday.

Jake Johnson went 1-for-3 with two RBIs to top the Cardinals, while Blake Buntjer supplied one hit.

Cale Steuber struck out seven and walked three in allowing four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings to net the win for Fairmont.

Wyatt Frank fanned four and walked three in 2 1/3 shutout innings of one-hit relief.

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