FAIRMONT — For six innings Thursday night, Fairmont American Legion Post 36 did not play like the No. 8-seeded team in next week’s Division I, sub-state baseball tournament.

Fairmont built a 3-0 lead over No. 1-seeded New Ulm Post 132 through four frames before the Gold batting order erupted for four runs on five hits in the top of the fifth inning at Herb Wolf Field.

Post 36 demonstrated its mettle when Cale Steuber drew a one-out walk and eventually scored the tying run on Jackson Utermarck’s clutch RBI single with two outs in the home half of the fifth.

New Ulm, however, combined six walks, one hit batter, three hits and a sacrifice fly with three Fairmont errors to plate nine runs in the top of the seventh inning to exit Fairmont with a lopsided 13-4 regular-season victory over host Post 36.

“We came out aggressive at the plate and scored two runs right away in the first to stake (starting pitcher) Dalen (Keltgen) to an early lead,” said Fairmont coach Levi Becker. “It was a close game through the first six innings, then the wheels kind of fell off in the seventh.

“Now we have to finish the regular season (tonight) before playing Gold in the first round of the playoffs Wednesday at Mueller Park (in New Ulm).”

Fairmont (4-6) plays host to Mankato American at 6:30 p.m. tonight back at Wolf Field before clashing with top-seeded New Ulm Gold (26-4) at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Mueller Park in New Ulm in the double-elimination Division I sub-state tournament.

“Dalen kept Gold off the board for the first four innings, but our defense made a couple of mistakes in the field behind him in the fifth to open the door (for New Ulm),” Becker said.

Jordan Wolter greeted New Ulm starting pitcher Jace Marotz with a leadoff single in Fairmont’s first at-bat before advancing 90 feet on an ensuing walk to Zach Jorgensen. Both Wolter and Jorgensen moved into scoring position on Eli Anderson’s perfectly-placed sacrifice bunt.

Wolter scampered home with the game’s initial run on Keltgen’s sacrifice fly before Steuber singled home Jorgensen for a quick 2-0 lead.

Utermarck then triggered Post 36’s offensive break-throughs in the fourth and fifth frames. Utermarck singled, motored to second when Gavin Rodning’s grounder was mishandled and gained third base on Donovan Krill’s pinch-hit single. Utermarck then crossed the plate on Jorgensen’s key two-out RBI single to right for a 3-0 lead.

Trailing 4-3, Steuber walked, stole second base and scored with two outs on Utermarck’s RBI single to center field to draw Fairmont even on the scoreboard at 4-all in the last of the fifth.

Teagan Kamm drew a leadoff walk from Keltgen during New Ulm’s top of the fifth before circling the bases on Jaden Domeier’s RBI double to left-center.

Josh Seidl lined a one-hop single to center and took second base when the throw missed the cutoff to bring Hunter Ranweiler to the plate. Ranweiler, who went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, drilled a two-run single to knot the game at 3-all. Ranweiler then scored the go-ahead run on Chris Knowles’ RBI single to center.

Aaron Portner’s sacrifice fly, Hunter Ranweiler’s two-run double and RBI singles from Mason Cox and Portner highlighted New Ulm’s nine-run outburst in the top of the seventh.

Teddy Geifer allowed two runs on four hits, struck out four and walked three in three innings of relief to earn the win for Gold. Braden Zimmerman struck out three and walked one in working a scoreless bottom of the seventh for New Ulm.

Keltgen gave up four runs — three earned — on seven hits, struck out one, hit one batter and walked four in five frames to receive a no-decision.

Fairmont reliever Eli Anderson took the loss, giving up six runs — three earned — on one hit, two walks and one hit batter in 1 2/3 innings of work.

NUG 000 040 9 — 13 10 2

FMT 200 110 0 — 4 6 5

Jace Marotz, Teddy Geifer (4, WP), Braden Zimmerman (7) and Hunter Ranweiler. Dalen Keltgen, Eli Anderson (6, LP), Jordan Wolter (7), Jack Hested (7) and Zach Jorgensen.

LOB–Fairmont 10, New Ulm 8. 2B–Hunter Ranweiler (NU) 2, Jaden Domeier (NU). SF–Keltgen (F), Aaron Portner (NU). SAC–Anderson (F), Zimmerman (NU).