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Fairmont VFW baseball plates 40 runs in sweep

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont VFW Post 1222 baseball team batted around … and around … and around on Saturday.

Fairmont won both ends of a baseball doubleheader against St. James, claiming a 22-0 rout in the opener before completing the sweep with an 18-0 triumph in Game 2 at Herb Wolf Field.

VFW Post 1222 combined to play eight total innings in the two games — which were each scheduled to be five innings — because of the 10-run rule.

Fairmont actually batted in only six innings, and sent more than nine batters to the plate in four of those — two in the first game and two in the second.

In Game 1, Cale Steuber and Owen Wolter combined for a four-inning no-hitter. Steuber walked the first batter he faced, then retired the next nine before Wolter came in for the final three hitters which he put down in order.

Steuber threw three innings in the no-hit effort, walked one and struck out four. Wolter struck out one in his one perfect inning.

Fairmont co-head coach Don Waletich said he was pleased with his team’s performance just prior to opening the sub-district playoffs.

“The pitching was very good today,” Waletich said. “Every guy we threw out there did a good job throwing strikes. The defense was good today as well.”

In the first inning of Game 1, Fairmont sent 16 batters to the plate. Seven were given free bases, six on walks and Zach Soelter was hit by a pitch his second time up. Five Fairmont batters notched hits in the first frame. In the inning, every Fairmont batter reached base as the home team ended the first with a 12-0 lead.

Post 1222 batted around again in the second inning, this time sending 15 batters up. Soelter was again hit by a pitch, and three more batters were walked, while eight collected hits. By the end of the second, the 22-0 score was set.

Steuber collected two hits and a walk, and reached base once via an error and knocked in one run. Joey Flohrs notched two singles with two RBIs, while Soelter walked once, was hit twice and singled to collect two RBIs.

Blake Buntjer walked twice, singled and doubled for three RBIs, Zach Jorgensen hit a single, a double and walked once to drive in four runs for Fairmont.

Jack Hested singled three times and reached on an error, while getting four runners to cross home plate. Jacob Johnson notched a single, Jackson Utermarck walked twice and singled with one RBI, and Dan Betts walked twice and scored two runs.

In Game 2, Jorgensen, Soelter and Gavin Rodning combined on the mound to hold St. James hitless again. Jorgensen pitched 2 1/3 innings with two walks, a hit batter and three strikeouts. Soelter gave up a walk in one inning, and Rodning closed the game when he threw two pitches to get a 5-4-3 double play.

In Game 2, Fairmont batted around in the first and third innings. In the first, Post 1222 sent 15 batters to the plate, and in the third, it sent 10.

Wolter scored a run while Steuber had a single, a double, a walk and reached on an error to score four runs and collect three RBIs.

Soelter singled, doubled, walked twice, scored twice and notched one RBI, while Buntjer walked three times singled once and scored one run.

Flohrs hit a two-run double and took a walk, and Jorgenson helped his own cause with an RBI triple in the first inning to complement a single later.

Johnson hit a single, Rodning walked twice and was hit by a pitch, and Utermarck walked twice and scored both times.

Fairmont opens Southwest Sub-District tournament action against host Mankato at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Wolverton Field in Mankato.

Game 1

STJ 0 0 0 0 – 0 0 6

FMT (12) (10) 0 0 – 22 14 0

Peyton Engelking (LP), Drew Neilsen, Tanner Olson and Michael Suarez. Cale Steuber (WP), Owen Wolter (4) and Zach Jorgensen, Joey Flohrs.

LOB–St. James 1, Fairmont 6. 2B–Zach Jorgensen (F), Blake Buntjer (F).

Game 2

STJ 0 00 0 – 0 0 3

FMT (10) 35 0 – 18 9 0

Tyler Chapin (LP), Michael Suarez, Hayden Jones and Tanner Olson. Zach Jorgenson (WP), Zach Soelter (3), Gavin Rodning (4) and Jackson Utermarck.

LOB–St. James 3, Fairmont 6. 2B–Zach Soelter (F), Cale Steuber (F), Joey Flohrs (F). 3B–Zach Jorgenson (F).

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