FAIRMONT — Squandered opportunities sank Fairmont.

Mankato American Legion Baseball Post 11 American Division beat Fairmont Post 36, 7-0, in the final regular-season game.

Fairmont (4-7) plays No. 1-seeded New Ulm Gold at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mueller Park in New Ulm to open the Division I sub-state tournament.

Mankato pitchers Jaeden Kenward, Travis Noren, Owen Atherton and Ryan Kuechle combined to shut out Fairmont.

Mankato put up a run in the first, two in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh to build its lead.

In the first, Logan Hermer tripled to deep right field and scored on a Kuechle sacrifice fly to left, then in the fourth, Logan Hermer and Kuechle both singled and scored on Isaac Turner’s single to right. In the sixth, Kuechle and Atherton singled, Kuechle scored on a delayed double steal and Atherton scored on a Fairmont error. Kenward was the batter that forced the error and reached second on the play before scoring on a Noah Bruggeman bloop single to left field.

Mankato’s final run came when Grant Hermer led off the seventh with a hard grounder to left, advanced ninety feet on a walk to Kuechle, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out.

Fairmont had opportunities to score, but could not get a run across home plate.

Post 36 head coach Levi Becker said Fairmont’s batters need to be more aggressive at the plate.

“We’re a lot better when we’re aggressive in counts, otherwise we’re getting beat on two-strike counts,” Levi Becker said. “It showed last night (Thursday) too. When we were aggressive against New Ulm, we had good at bats.”

In the second, Dalen Keltgen singled to right before Nick Eversman hit a hard ground ball through the left side of the infield. Keltgen reached third, but Eversman was erased on a Lance Becker fielder’s choice to shortstop, but a strikeout ended the inning with Keltgen 90 feet from home.

In the fourth, Keltgen reached third again after getting on base on a fielder’s choice and advancing on Blake Buntjer’s double to left-center field. But Keltgen fell victim to a back pick from Mankato catcher Turner and a groundout kept Buntjer on second.

Fairmont loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh after taking three consecutive four-pitch walks, but a pitching change led to a strikeout and a groundout, stranding the three runners.

Jack Hested pitched the first six innings for Fairmont, allowing six runs, five earned, on 11 hits, while striking out three.

Buntjer came in for the final inning, allowing one run on one hit and a walk.

Levi Becker said Fairmont knows what to expect when it plays No. 1-seeded New Ulm Gold to start tournament play.

“We’re gonna kind of revamp here,” Levi Becker said. “Right away we get New Ulm off the bat, which is fine. We played them tough through basically seven innings. We know what they’ve got, we know they can hit. We’ll put up a good fight and try to win a couple games in the tournament.”

Keltgen had a single for Fairmont, while Cale Steuber and Eversman each had a hit. Buntjer led the offense with a double.

MKA 100 203 1 — 7 12 0

FMT 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Jaedan Kenward, Travis Noren (4, WP), Owen Atherton (7), Ryan Kuechle (7) and Isaac Turner, Dalton Dodge (7). Jack Hested (LP), Blake Buntjer (7) and Eli Anderson.

LOB–MKA 4, FMT 7. 2B–Blake Buntjer (FMT). 3B–Logan Hermer (MKA). SAC–Owen Atherton (MKA). SF–Ryan Kuechle (MKA).

•

D-II Playoffs

Luverne 7, Winnebago/Blue Earth 4 — Luverne American Legion Post 123 used a six-run second inning to take down Winnebago/Blue Earth Posts 82 & 89 in a second-round Division II, Southwest Sub-State tournament game Friday night in Luverne.

With the win, Luverne moves on to play Heron Lake-Okabena Post 608 in today’s 5 p.m. game, while WBE (11-2) moves into the elimination bracket to face Minneota Post 199 at noon.

WBE put up two runs in the top of the second when Hunter Bleess doubled, Koby Nagel belted an RBI single and Luke Mertens followed with an RBI single.

Caelan Sanders then walked, advanced to second and scored on an Anders Fering RBI single to give WBE another run in the third inning.

Posts 82 & 89 scored its final run in the fourth when Keegan O’Brien walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scoring on a passed ball.

Luverne scored six runs in the second inning on two hit batters, two errors, two hits and a walk.

Post 123 scored again in the fifth after a double and an error.

WBE outhit Luverne 6-4 in the sub-state contest.

WBE starter Hunter Bleess pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits and four walks, while striking out two. Jared Kennedy pitched the final 1/3 of an inning for WBE.