FAIRMONT — Timing was everything for the Fairmont Martins on Wednesday night.

The Martins pieced together timely hits, including a clutch bunt, to narrowly beat the Windom Pirates, 5-4, for a Game 1 win during a second-round, Region 13C amateur baseball playoff series at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

Windom plays host to Fairmont in Game 2 of the best-of-3 series at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Island Park in Windom.

“We came up with some big hits at the end, and (Matt) Lytle’s bunt played into a big inning,” Martins head coach/player Levi Becker said.

With the game knotted at 3-all, Adam Schmidt beat Pirates first baseman Devin Nielsen to the base for a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Taylor Nawrocki then sent one into center field before Lytle stepped to the plate.

Lytle popped up a bunt that got away from the Pirates to load the bases. Jack Waletich’s sacrifice fly to left field broke the tie as Schmidt and Nawrocki scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs, respectively.

Pirates starting pitcher Derek Shoen, a draftee from the Martin County Foxes, then struck out Tyler Tennyson and Christian Petschke as the Martins took a 5-3 lead after seven innings.

The Pirates tried to match the Martins’ seventh-inning scoring, but could only get one in the top of the ninth. Lytle struck out Danny Kneeland to start the inning, but No. 2 batter Luke Gilbertson doubled.

Gilbertson, who also scored the Pirates’ first run of the game, moved up on Sam Huska’s groundout and ran home on Devin Nielsen’s base hit. Before Devin Nielsen could score, though, Jacob Johnson flied out to Schmidt in right field to end the game.

Both teams used a strong defensive front to keep the other off base for the first two innings.

In the home half of the third inning, Schmidt — who went 2-for-4 — got a leadoff hit. The Pirates then attempted a double play and were able to get Schmidt out. But an overthrown ball to first base allowed Nawrocki to safely reach first and get to second.

Spencer Chirpich’s hit to right field scored Nawrocki for a 1-0 lead after three complete innings.

The Pirates answered in the fourth, starting with base hits from Gilbertson and Huska. Martins starting pitcher Tyler Tennyson then hit Devin Nielsen with a pitch to load the bases before Gilbertson made his way home on Dane Nielsen’s RBI groundout.

The Martins regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Dustin Sobolik dropped a pitch into center field. With two out, the Pirates committed an error to allow Sobolik to score and Parker Monsen to take first base.

Monsen stole second, and was driven in by Chirpich’s single. Chirpich finished the game with two RBIs, going 2-for-4 at the plate.

The Pirates mirrored the runs in the sixth for the second tie of the game. Tennyson walked Johnson and hit Dane Nielsen with a pitch. A mishandled ball put Lovell on base and filled the bases before Jack Mellstrom drove in Johnson with a hit.

Tennyson struck out Joel Riordan, but walked Kneeland, allowing Dane Nielsen to score. Lytle then came in and struck out Gilbertson to prevent the Pirates from taking a lead.

“Matt did a heckuva job coming in relief,” Becker said.

Lytle allowed one run on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 3 1/3 innings of work for the win for Fairmont.

Tennyson gave up three runs on five hits, struck out two, walked two and hit two batters over 5 2/3 innings for the no-decision.

Gilbertson went 3-for-5 with a double and scored two runs for the Pirates.

Shoen absorbed the loss for Windom, giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out 11 with one walk in seven innings.

Nick Kulseth pitched a hitless and scoreless inning of relief.

WIN 000 102 001–4 7 3

FMT 001 020 20x–5 8 2

Tyler Tennyson, Matt Lytle (6, WP) and Dustin Sobolik. Derek Shoen (LP), Nick Kulseth (8) and Danny Kneeland.

LOB–Windom 10, Fairmont 5. 2B–Luke Gilbertson (Windom). SF–Jack Waletich (Fairmont).