BLUE EARTH — It took four extra innings, but the Fairmont Cardinal baseball team extended its winning streak to eight in a row on Thursday at Veterans Park in Blue Earth.

Dustin Schultz’s RBI double with one out in the top of the 11th inning opened the proverbial offensive floodgates for a three-run outburst to propel Fairmont to a 4-1 Big South Conference triumph over the Blue Earth Area Bucs.

Cardinal reliever Nick Eversman then displayed his defensive skills by triggering a clutch double play in the bottom of the 11th to seal his pitching victory.

Tied at 1-all since the bottom of the fifth inning, Dalen Keltgen singled down the third base line with one out to set the table for the Cardinals in the top half of the 11th.

Eversman reached on a Bucs’ error before Schultz pounded a delivery into deep left-center to plate Keltgen with the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.

Blue Earth Area opted to issue an intentional walk to Zac Ringnell to set up a forceout at any base, but Cale Steuber lined an RBI infield hit between first and second base to plate Eversman for a 3-1 lead. Zach Jorgensen followed with another RBI infield hit to the hole at shortstop to plate Schultz for a 4-1 advantage.

Trailing by three, Luke Mertens lined a single to right to lead off the Bucs’ bottom of the 11th before the BEA runner was doubled off when Eversman gloved Gavin Storbeck’s infield popup and flipped to first base. Eversman issued one of his three walks during his relief appearance, but got another infield popup to finalize the Cardinals’ cardiac win.

Eversman allowed just two hits over two shutout innings to earn the victory. Keltgen struck out one, walked two and gave up two hits in three scoreless innings in relieving starting pitcher Jack Hested. Hested gave up one earned run on four hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk in six stellar frames to receive no decision.

Zach Soelter was hit by a pitch and later scored on Eversman’s RBI single to initially stake Fairmont to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

Blue Earth Area answered in the bottom of the fifth when Hunter Bleess singled and scored on Mertens’ RBI single to knot the game at 1-all.

Mertens and Anders Fering, who smacked a two-out double in the eighth, each finished with two hits for the Bucs, while Koby Nagel, Karson Legred and Keegan O’Brien each produced singles for the home team.

Eversman and Jorgensen collected two hits apiece and one RBI for the Cardinals.

Nagel absorbed the loss, giving up three runs — only one earned — on four hits, struck out four and issued seven walks in 4 2/3 innings of relief. Storbeck started on the mound, giving up one earned run on three hits, struck out 10 and walked five in 6 1/3 innings to receive no decision.

Fairmont (11-2) plays host to Marshall at 5 p.m. today at Herb Wolf Field, while Blue Earth Area travels to Waterville on Saturday for an 11 a.m. game with Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.

FHS 001 000 000 03 — 4 8 3

BEA 000 010 000 00 — 1 8 2

Jack Hested, Dalen Keltgen (7), Nick Eversman (10, WP) and Zac Ringnell. Gavin Storbeck, Koby Nagel (7, LP) and Karson Legred.

LOB–Fairmont 17, Blue Earth Area 12. 2B–Dustin Schultz (FHS), Anders Fering (BEA).

Jack Kosbab hammered four hits, including one double, to help power Fairmont to a 20-2 rout over Blue Earth Area during C-squad action Thursday.

Brendan Schmidtke and Landon Meyerdirk each supplied three hits for the Cardinals, with Schmidtke blasting a double.

Lincoln Becker and Cooper Steuber each contributed two hits to Fairmont’s winning ways.

Schmidtke allowed two runs on four hits and walked two in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Brayden Koch closed out the final 1/3 of an inning for Fairmont (7-5).