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St. Peter plates wins over Fairmont in opening diamond games

FLIP TO FIRST — Fairmont first baseman Jack Kosbab (right) flips the baseball to Cardinal reliever Nate Soelter (left) covering first base during season-opening action against St. Peter on Thursday at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. Cardinal shortstop Zach Jorgensen (background) looks on. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT — St. Peter’s No. 5 batter Ashton Volk delivered the second of three pivotal hits to right field to help break open a one-run baseball game during a three-run third inning on Thursday at Herb Wolf Field.

Volk drilled a two-run double, Vinny Guappone went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Josh Robb produced two hits and scored twice to power the visiting Saints to an 8-1 season-opening Big South Conference triumph over the Fairmont Cardinals in Fairmont.

“It seemed like the entire game was played on the right side of the infield and outfield,” Fairmont head coach Don Waletich said in reference to St. Peter’s lineup hitting the baseball 14 times between first and second base, including nine in the air.

Ironically, Guappone’s initial hit of the game — an RBI double to right field in the top of the second inning — knotted the game at 1-all. It was an offensive trend that would eventually generate seven more runs for the Saints.

Eli Anderson staked Fairmont to a quick 1-0 cushion during the bottom of the first inning. After retiring St. Peter in order during the top of the first, Anderson utilized his smooth left-handed swing to pound a leadoff triple to right. Anderson later crossed the plate on Zach Jorgensen’s RBI ground out.

Despite cleanup batter Jackson Utermarck’s 3-for-3 performance — including a pair of doubles, and freshman Levi Pooley’s two-hit varsity debut, the Cardinals would not score again.

“For our first outing of the season, I thought our guys produced a lot of barrels at the plate, but St. Peter’s outfielders did a good job of making plays on a number of those to prevent us from getting that timely hit,” said Waletich, whose batting order generated seven hits overall.

With two out in the bottom of the first, Utermarck dropped in a shallow single, but was one of seven Cardinal runners stranded. Lincoln Becker hammered an offering down the right-field line, but Saint outfielder Brock Hanson made a nice diving catch to rob Becker of a potential extra-base hit and an RBI.

Tied at 1-all, Shea Hildebrandt drew a leadoff walk to set the tables for St. Peter’s three-run third at-bat. Theo Geidd launched a double before Robb walked to load the bases.

Jake Rimstad broke the tie with an RBI infield hit to third before Volk pulled a two-run double down the right-field foul line for the visiting lineup.

Jake Moelter blasted a two-run single during the Saints’ fourth at-bat before St. Peter scratched out two more runs in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk and Guappone’s run-scoring infield hit.

Utermarck legged out a hustle double that hugged the third-base line with one out in the fourth before cranking a one-out double in the sixth, with neither extra-base hit producing a run.

Rimstad allowed one hit in three shutout innings of relief to earn the win for St. Peter. The right-hander struck out three and issued one walk.

Anderson allowed four runs — three earned — on four hits, struck out two and walked three in three innings of work to absorb the loss for the Cardinals.

Fairmont (0-1) travels to New Ulm on Tuesday, while St. Peter (1-0) plays host to Worthington in an 11 a.m. Big South doubleheader on Saturday.

STP 013 202 0 — 8 8 0

FHS 100 000 0 — 1 7 1

Theo Geidd, Jake Rimstad (2, WP), Vinny Guappone (5) and Josh Robb. Eli Anderson (LP), Nate Soelter (4), Landen Meyerdirk (6) and Jackson Utermarck.

LOB–St. Peter 8, Fairmont 7. 2B–Jackson Utermarck (FHS) 2, Theo Geidd (SP), Ashton Volk (SP) and Vinny Guappone (SP). 3B–Eli Anderson (FHS).

Prep Softball

St. Peter 14, Fairmont 4 — The Saints scored six runs — only three earned — during the bottom of the third inning to break open their season-opening softball contest en route to the run-rule win in six innings over the Cardinals on Thursday in St. Peter.

The youthful Fairmont lineup utilized one powerful swing of the bat by freshman Nevaeh Rahm to reach the scoreboard during the top of the third inning of the Big South clash.

Allison Janssen walked and scored on the first of Anna Ehlert’s team-best three hits — an RBI double. Ehlert, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the game, then crossed the plate on Rahm’s two-run home run.

Emily Muller produced two hits for the Cardinals, while Chantell Moeller and Kaitlyn Scott each contributed one single to the offensive effort.

Rahm started inside the chalked circle and allowed nine runs — just four earned — on six hits in three innings of work to absorb the loss. Rahm struck out five and walked three.

Fairmont (0-1) travels to St. James Area on Monday for another conference game.

St. Peter edged Fairmont, 6-5, during season-opening junior varsity action Thursday in St. Peter.

Ava Terfehr doubled and drove in two runs for the Cardinals, Ella Klunder supplied two hits and one RBI, Cassy King generated two hits, while Paige Linse chipped in one hit.

Gabriella Leiding pitched four innings, allowed one earned run on two hits, while striking out five and walking one for Fairmont.

Brylee Miller gave up three earned runs on three hits in three innings of relief. Miller struck out two and walked two for the Cardinals.

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