FAIRMONT — After being postponed twice due to inclement weather, the Fairmont Cardinal softball team is scheduled to play host to the Marshall Tigers in a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday at Cardinal Park.

St. Peter helped Fairmont get prepared for the upcoming twinbill as the visiting Saints and Cardinals slugged it out to the equivalent of two regulation games plus two more innings on Tuesday night.

Haley Goebel and Jordan Schueneman drew back-to-back walks in the top of the historical 16th inning and later scored the go-ahead and insurance runs, respectively, to propel St. Peter to a 6-4 Big South Conference victory under the lights.

“Just being able to play that competitive for 16 innings shows these girls’ resilience,” said Fairmont head coach Haley Loerts, whose lineup played the most innings and longest game timewise — nearly 4 hours — in the program’s history. “While you always want to come away with a win in extra innings, the final outcome could have easily been a 3-0 loss in seven innings today.

“Our girls didn’t give up and fought back to force extra innings, and I’m proud of that.”

Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, Fairmont manufactured three runs behind only one hit, one walk, a sacrifice bunt and aggressive baserunning to eventually force the Cardinal Park lights to be turned on prior to the start of the 14th frame.

Taylor Nuss drew a one-out walk for the Cardinals in the sixth, stole second base and took third on a passed ball. Nuss then created chaos on Mariah Gochanour’s sacrifice bunt, beating the fielder’s choice throw to the plate for Fairmont’s initial run.

Courtney Williams then hammered an RBI triple to deep right-center to plate Mariah Gochanour before Williams crossed the plate with the tying run on Jordan Ehlert’s RBI ground out.

“We both had our chances in extra innings, and then we matched each other with a solo run in the 15th. Overall, it was a good game by both teams,” said Loerts.

Knotted at 3-all, Hailey Kennedy collected the third of her four hits to open St. Peter’s top half of the 15th before Taylor McCarthy pinch ran for the Saints’ first baseman. Kennedy reached third base on one of the Cardinals’ six errors on the night before scoring the go-ahead run on Kayla Oeltjenbruns’ RBI fielder’s choice.

Fairmont ace starting pitcher Jordan Ehlert, who matched St. Peter counterpart Kelli Hanson by working all 16 frames inside the chalked circle, got a foul out and a pop out to limit the damage to one.

Mallory Gochanour generated the fourth and final hit to open the Cardinals’ 15th before being replaced on base via Nuss’ fielder’s choice. Nuss later forced two throwing errors to circle the bases before leapfrogging over the St. Peter catcher to tie the game at 4.

Mariah Gochanour and Williams later drew one-out walks to load the bases, but Hanson gloved a hard-hit comebacker and triggered a pivotal inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

Kennedy produced an RBI single in the top of the fourth for a 1-0 Saints’ lead before delivering a sacrifice fly during a two-run sixth for the three-run margin.

Hanson recorded a staggering 16 strikeouts, issued nine walks and allowed four runs — three earned — on 10 hits in 16 innings of work to earn the complete-game victory for St. Peter.

Ehlert gave up six runs — just one earned — on 11 hits, notched 10 strikeouts, walked seven and hit one batter in 16 frames to absorb the loss for the Cardinals.

Ehlert went 2-for-7 with a double and one RBI for Fairmont, while Mariah Gochanour and Nuss each supplied doubles.

Fairmont (8-2) plays host to Marshall in a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader Thursday at Cardinal Park, while St. Peter (6-4) plays host to New Ulm at 5 p.m. Thursday.

St. Peter 000 102 000

000 001 2 — 6 11 2

Fairmont 000 003 000

000 001 0 — 4 10 6

Kelli Hanson (WP) and Allie McCabe. Jordan Ehlert (LP) and Mariah Gochanour.

LOB–St. Peter 16; Fairmont 14. 2B–Taylor Nuss (F), Mariah Gochanour (F), Ehlert (F), Mackenzie Brey (SP). 3B–Courtney Williams (F). SF–Hailey Kennedy (SP). SAC–Mariah Gochanour (F), Brey (SP), Alexis Reese (SP).

Kaitlyn Freese pitched a complete game as Fairmont edged St. Peter, 5-4, during junior varsity action Tuesday in Fairmont.

Freese allowed four runs on nine hits, struck out five and did not issue a walk in seven innings of work to earn the victory.

Lexus Wojtanowicz, Chloe Murphy and Whitney Scott each contributed a double during the Cardinals’ five-run fourth at-bat. In fact, Fairmont collected six of its seven hits during that inning.

Wojtanowicz produced two doubles to top the Cardinals on the game.

Freese and the Fairmont defense worked around St. Peter’s leadoff triple with no outs in the top of the seventh to preserve the win to improve the Cardinals’ record to 9-0.

Martin County West 4, Nicollet 3 — The Mavericks held the Raiders to one inning of scoring in the one-run win on Tuesday in Nicollet.

Halle Johnson had a two-run single during the Raiders’ three-run fifth inning.

Jenna Steele and Karlee Thiesse each had two hits with Steele recording a double and Thiesse collecting two RBIs for the Mavericks. Sydney Hein added an RBI hit.

Sierra Williamson earned the win, giving up two runs with three walks and three strikeouts in five innings on the mound. Jordan Stahl pitched the final two innings and allowed a run, struck out one and walked one.

Hannah Beckius pitched a complete game and gave up four runs on seven hits while fanning two and walking one to take the loss for Nicollet.

Martin County West (6-2, 3-0 Valley) plays host to Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Welcome.

MCW 200 200 0–4 7 1

NIC 000 030 0–3 5 0

Sierra Williamson (WP), Jordan Stahl (6) and Karlee Thiesse. Hannah Beckius (LP) and Brooke Skrien.

Alden-Conger 8, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain 6 — The Knights held off the Jaguars’ comeback bid in the seventh inning to earn the two-run win on Tuesday in Northrop.

The Jaguars scored three runs in the seventh inning. Lizzie Oothoudt went 2-for-4 with a triple and drove in two runs. Michaelah Petrowiak had two hits and collected an RBI.

Marissa Steinhaus hit three doubles and notched two RBIs while absorbing the loss on the mound. She allowed eight runs — six earned — on eight hits, struck out five and walked eight in seven innings.

Trinity Newman and Mikenna Erickson both went 2-for-4 for the Knights.

Erika Bute recorded the complete-game victory with seven strikeouts and five walks. She gave up six earned runs on nine hits.

Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain (2-8) plays Madelia/Truman at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Truman.

A-C 043 100 0–8 8 1

MLG 000 030 3–6 9 2

Erika Bute (WP) and Megan Linn. Marissa Steinhaus (LP) and Michaelah Petrowiak.

St. Clair 14, Madelia/Truman 8 — Megan Fandrich scored three runs and collected five RBIs on 4-for-4 hitting in the Cyclones’ six-run win against the Jayhawks on Tuesday in St. Clair.

Cassidy Anderegg provided the Cyclones with three runs scored and two hits, including a double.

Brytni Drevlow scored three runs — including a home run — for the Jayhawks with an RBI and Madison Mueller hit a two-run home run and scored twice. Cara Teigum went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Megan Fandrich pitched all seven innings and gave up eight runs on eight hits, struck out seven and walked four to pick up the victory.

Courtney Davis allowed six runs on five hits with a strikeout and three walks in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Mikayla Klinkner threw 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and fanned two with two walks to absorb the loss.

Jessica Baumgartner pitched the final inning and walked three with a strikeout while allowing three runs on a hit.

Madelia/Truman (3-10, 0-3 Valley) host Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Truman.

MT 303 200 0– 8 8 3

SC 240 035 x– 14 13 0

Windom 13, Blue Earth Area 3 — The Eagles posted a 10-run victory over the Bucs during Big South Conference action on Tuesday in Blue Earth.

No team or individual statistics were reported.

Blue Earth Area (0-7) plays at Worthington at 5:30 p.m. Friday.