FAIRMONT — Ace right-hander Jack Hested literally delivered a first-round Southwest Sub-District baseball victory for Fairmont VFW Post 1222 on Monday night.

Hested fired a three-hit complete-game gem from the pitcher’s mound and assisted his own cause via a two-run double during a four-run fourth frame to help power Fairmont to an 11-1 triumph over St. James Post 1914 at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

Fairmont (14-3) faces United South Central — a 25-2, five-inning, opening-round victor over Lake Crystal — in a 7 p.m. second-round sub-district game tonight at Wolf Field.

St. James (6-12) plays Blue Earth at 4:30 p.m. today in a second-round postseason clash in Fairmont. Blue Earth rallied for an 11-6 opening win over Mapleton.

“We needed a seven-inning performance tonight to keep us on schedule with our pitching rotation,” said Fairmont head coach Todd Sukalski. “It’s nice to have to use only one pitcher tonight.”

After working a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, Hested received two runs from his Post 1222 teammates during the top of the second for an early 2-0 lead.

Dominic Ortiz legged out an infield hit before courtesy runner Tony Nuss eventually crossed the plate on Blake Buntjer’s RBI single to left. Zach Soelter, who had reached on an error earlier, later tagged and scored on Joey Flohrs’ sacrifice fly to center.

Hested then surrendered his lone run of the game during the home half of the second. Noah Sykes drilled a comebacker off of Hested’s glove for an infield hit before courtesy runner Parker Jones gained third via an error and Aaron Rodriguez’s single. Jones then crossed the plate on Cole Durheim’s sacrifice fly to trim St. James’ gap to 2-1.

Hested, however, used his bat to help extend Fairmont’s margin to 6-1 on the strength of four runs in the fourth. Soelter singled, Flohrs and Dustin Schultz later worked out bases-loaded walks before Hested drilled a two-run double down the left-field line.

Buntjer delivered another RBI single for Post 1222 during the fifth frame to plate Dalen Keltgen, who had reached on an error and advanced to third on Soelter’s single.

Fairmont manufactured four runs in the seventh via Nuss’ single combined with three St. James errors to widen the gap to double digits.

Ortiz, Soelter and Buntjer each produced two of Fairmont’s 10 hits, while Lee Hillesheim delivered a pinch-hit triple for St. James.

Hested allowed one earned run on three hits, struck out seven and walked four in seven innings to earn the complete-game win.

FMT 020 410 4 — 11 10 2

STJ 010 000 0 — 1 3 6

Jack Hested (WP) and Dominic Ortiz. Charles Schmidt (LP), Peyton Hanson (4), Derrick Halvorson (4), Sam Kulseth (5), Parker Jones (6) and Kulseth, Schmidt (4).

LOB–Fairmont 8, St. James 5. 2B–Hested (F). 3B–Lee Hillesheim (SJ). SF–Joey Flohrs (F), Cole Durheim (SJ).