BACK-PEDALING CATCH — Fairmont second baseman Kaiden Musser (8) makes a back-pedaling catch as Martins right fielder Carter Bell backs up the play during amateur baseball action against the Austin Greyhounds on Sunday at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The 2020 Minnesota Class ‘C’ state amateur baseball champion Fairmont Martins experienced a rarity on Sunday.

The Martins actually lost a game. Even more recherche, they made an early exit from Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont on the short end of the 10-run rule.

Right-hander John Kirby recorded a game-best 10 strikeouts in scattering four hits over six shutdown innings, while leadoff batter Alex Ciola produced a game-best three RBIs via a two-run single and a sacrifice fly to power the Austin Greyhounds to an 11-1, seven-inning triumph over the Martins.

“The last time we lost a game was to Those Guys from Bancroft the second time we played them about a year ago. I can’t remember the exact date,” said Fairmont player-coach Levi Becker, whose team compiled a 27-2 overall record in 2020. “Even crazier, I can’t remember the last time we got 10-runned in a game. Maybe five years ago or so? I don’t know off the top of my head.”

Levi Becker and Ethan Hurn equally combined to generate all of the Martins’ hits on Sunday. Hurn singled in the first inning before legging out an infield hit in the fourth. Hurn advanced 90 feet on Becker’s initial hit — a single, took third base on a walk to Adam Schmidt and scored on Christian Petschke’s sacrifice fly.

Becker later hammered a towering triple to center with two outs in the sixth inning, but was stranded 90 feet away from possibly extending the game to a regulation nine innings.

“I’m not making excuses, but we don’t have a number of our guys back yet, so we were somewhat young for this level (of baseball) today,” said a smiling Becker, who penciled three high school players into his starting lineup on Sunday.

The Greyhounds capitalized on 10 walks issued by Martins starting pitcher Paxton Gravlin through three-plus innings of work, and mixed in seven hits — including two for extra bases — and three sacrifice flies. Austin stranded 10 runners on the contest.

Angel Santiago’s RBI single and Miguel Castro’s sacrifice fly accounted for the Greyhounds’ two-run first at-bat before Jordan Hart’s two-run triple and Castro’s RBI single fueled a three-run second for a quick 5-0 lead.

Teyghan Hovland, a St. Cloud State University baseball commit, then displayed his future collegiate speed by manufacturing a solo run in the third for Austin. Hovland drew a walk, stole second base, reached third on a passed ball and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

After Gravlin issued four consecutive walks to open the fourth, Yean Carlos smacked a sacrifice fly and Ciola drilled a two-run single to pace Austin’s four-run outbreak in the fourth to grab a 10-1 lead.

Hovland demonstrated his speed on the bases again in the sixth by legging out a one-out hustle double to right field. Hovland wheeled to third on Isaac Schumacher’s second infield hit of the day before coasting home on Ciola’s sacrifice fly for a 10-run margin.

Kirby displayed stellar control by issuing only one walk in six innings pitched to earn the victory. Ciola struck out one in working a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.

Becker allowed only one run on three hits, walked two, hit two batters and struck out one in four innings of relief for the Martins. Gravlin gave up 10 runs on four hits in three-plus frames to take the loss for Fairmont.

The Martins (6-1) play host to Windom at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. Austin (3-1) plays host to Waseca next Sunday.

Austin 231 401 0 — 11 7 0

Martins 000 100 0 — 1 4 1

John Kirby (WP), Alex Ciola (7) and Nestor Jimenez. Paxton Gravlin (LP), Levi Becker (4) and Matt Lytle.

LOB–Austin 10, Fairmont 4. 2B–Teyghan Hovland (A). 3B–Levi Becker (FMT), Jordan Hart (A). SF–Christian Petschke (FMT), Alex Ciola (A), Miguel Castro (A), Yean Carlos (A).