STRETCH PLAY — Fairmont Martins second baseman Lance Becker stretches out to glove a high-bouncing grounder during amateur baseball action against Ruthton on Sunday at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. Becker went on to throw out the Royals runner at first base. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Fairmont reliever Tyler Tennyson needed only seven pitches to retire Ruthton in order during the seventh inning of their amateur baseball game Sunday at Herb Wolf Field.

Ironically, the Buena Vista University utility player required two less deliveries that originally projected.

“I’m hoping I’ll only have to throw nine (pitches),” Tennyson jokingly said prior to sealing his pitching victory in the 97-degree heat.

Tennyson notched two strikeouts and did not issue a walk in 4 2/3 innings of flawless relief, while Levi Becker drilled a three-run double during the Martins’ six-run fifth at-bat to engineer a 7-1 triumph over the Royals in Game 1 of a split doubleheader in Fairmont.

The Martins completed Sunday’s twinbill sweep by coasting to a 9-1 win over Pipestone in Game 2.

The right-handed throwing Tennyson inherited a bases-loaded situation with one out in the top of the third, and proceeded to retire 14 Ruthton batters in a row to allow Fairmont’s bats a chance to bounce back from a narrow 1-0 deficit.

Eli Anderson utilized his speed to manufacture the tying run for the Martins in the bottom of the third. Anderson, who went 2-for-3, legged out an infield hit to short, moved to the opposite corner when Jack Waletich beat out a slow roller to first and scored when Waletich purposely drew a throw between first and second.

Fairmont second baseman Lance Becker then denied Ruthton a hit in the top of the fourth. Becker ranged far to his left to glove Payton Hesse’s high-bouncing chopper, rotated his torso and pegged a perfect throw to first baseman Max Waletich for the out.

The Martins erupted for five hits to plate six runs in the bottom of the fifth to put the game out of reach with Tennyson on the mound.

Lance Becker walked, wheeled to third on Spencer Chirpich’s single to right and scored the go-ahead run on Anderson’s RBI single. One out later, Crawmer smacked a run-scoring single before Ethan Hurn followed suit one more out later for a 4-1 lead.

Tennyson, who went 2-for-2, drew a walk to load the bases for Levi Becker, who hammered a bases-clearing double for a six-run lead.

In Game 2, Hurn fired six innings of three-hit baseball, and went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs offensively to guide the Martins to a 9-1 Game 2 win over Pipestone on Sunday.

Hurn recorded eight strikeouts, issued one walk and allowed one earned run to earn the pitching victory. Adam Schmidt recorded one strikeout in one inning of hitless and scoreless relief for Fairmont.

Anderson and Crawmer each went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI for the Martins, while Chirpich went 1-for-2, scored twice and collected one RBI.

Tennyson and Levi Becker each contributed a hit for Fairmont against Pipestone, with Tennyson driving in one run.

The Martins travel to New Ulm on Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. game.

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NOTE: Unfortunately for the 2020 Class C state amateur baseball champions, the Minnesota Baseball Association voted 9-0 in a special meeting Saturday to make Fairmont ineligible for postseason play this season due to signing a player without gaining a proper release. The Martins also will serve two years probation, and must attend a meeting next spring to be reinstated.

“We can still continue to play our regular-season schedule, but at this point we are not eligible for postseason games,” said Martins manager David Hurn, who will await the possiblity of an appeal ruling by the MBA board.