MAPLE LAKE — One swing proved enough to support Collin Lovell’s outstanding performance.

Lovell pitched all nine innings and allowed only one run, while striking out nine, including four looking, to collect the win for the Martins on Saturday.

The Windom Pirates draftee’s performance powered Fairmont to a 2-1 win over the Lake City Serpents in the Class C amateur baseball state tournament round of 32.

“It was nice to get the last two weeks off and give my arm a break,” Lovell said. “Honestly I was just spotting my fastball, throwing it wherever I wanted to throw it. My slider was breaking a lot today, too, so that was a big plus.”

With the win, the Martins move on to the round of 16 where they will face the Waterville Indians at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Delano.

Both of Fairmont’s runs scored on one fourth-inning swing from Levi Becker.

Jon Traetow started the inning by fighting through a seven-pitch at-bat for a walk, setting up Becker.

On a 2-0 pitch, Becker connected, sending the Serpents’ left fielder Logan Thomas toward the wall. As Thomas hit the warning track, he looked to be set up to make the catch, but he continued jogging backward until he hit the wall as the ball continued a few feet farther.

The Fairmont dugout leapt to its feet to celebrate as Becker rounded the bases, putting the Martins ahead 2-0.

“My first at-bat I just wasn’t aggressive and there were balls right there,” Becker said. “The next time up, started out 2-0 and I knew I had to get on this one. It was good, I haven’t been very clutch the last couple of weeks so that felt really good to be able to help the team out.”

Fairmont threatened to score again in the fifth.

Tyler Tennyson got the Martins’ bats started with an infield single to the Serpent shortstop’s backhand, then Traetow shattered his bat on a jammed single to short center. Sam Schwieger singled through the right side of the infield to load the bases with two outs, but the third Martins’ strikeout of the frame ended the threat.

The Martins would not get a hit during the final three innings.

Lovell had to battle through trouble in only two innings.

Lake City collected three consecutive hits from Jake Fletcher, Hunter Baab and Zach Wolfe in the second inning, but a strikeout and groundout ended the frame.

In the sixth, Austin Baab singled up the middle before Fletcher lined a ball that one-hopped off the wall in left field for a double. With runners on second and third and only one out, Hunter Baab grounded out to bring home the Serpents’ lone run.

Lovell went on to mow down the Serpents’ lineup his final time through, recording 11 consecutive outs, including four strikeouts.

Becker said Lovell had a fantastic outing and the Martins will need more of the same in the round of 16 to stay alive in the tournament.

“Definitely a pitching and defense game,” Becker said. “He (Lovell) was good, he was right there in the zone all day, attacking. That’s exactly what we’ve seen when we’ve faced him. He had a hard slider, a good fastball, he was really good today.

“It’ll be the same thing next week. Every time we come up here we see good pitching, we’re just going to have to find ways to hit the ball a little more, move runners home and we know we’ll have the pitching to compete.”

Kyle Sarsely pitched five-plus innings for the Serpents, allowing two runs on four hits, five walks and a hit batter. Tyler Zenma relieved for Lake City for the duration, allowing a walk.

LC 000 001 000 — 1 6 0

FMT 000 200 00x — 2 4 1

Collin Lovell (WP) and Ethan Hurn. Kyle Sansely (LP), Tyler Zenma (6) and Jake Fletcher.

LOB–LC 5, FMT 9. 2B–Jake Fletcher (LC). HR–Levi Becker (FMT).