SAFE — Fairmont American Legion Post 36 runner Brendan Schmidtke (4) slides safely into second base as Sleepy Eye Post 7 shortstop Nicholas Mielke drops the baseball during action Monday night at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont American Legion Post 36 baseball team dropped its second game of the abbreviated summer season on Monday night, losing a 5-3 decision to Sleepy Eye Post 7 at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

Both of Post 36’s defeats have been to Sleepy Eye.

“We’re not getting our bats going and I think a big part is that these kids just played in the state championship game 10 days ago and some of our kids are at football camp,” Fairmont head coach Levi Becker said. “We don’t have many games left before the playoffs, but I’m confident we’ll get some momentum going when we get everyone back.”

Fairmont had runners on base throughout the entire game, but couldn’t get the big hit. Fairmont left eight runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first inning and runners on second and third in the seventh. Post 36 had seven hits, including two each from Nate Soelter and Eli Anderson.

Landen Meyerdirk, Levi Pooley and Jacob Crissinger also had hits for Fairmont. Anderson also stole two bases and scored a run.

Caden Evers had three hits to lead Sleepy Eye. Austin Uecker and Nick Mielke each had two hits for Post 7, while Mason Sellner and Jackson Huiras had one hit apiece.

Soelter started for Fairmont and took the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, seven hits, five walks with five strikeouts. Brendan Schmidtke tossed 2 1/3 innings, giving up no runs, two hits, one walk and striking out four.

Jake Price was the winning pitcher for Sleepy Eye, going the first six innings, giving up three runs, six hits, two walks with four strikeouts. Huiras pitched the seventh inning to earn the save. Huiras gave up no runs, one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.

Sleepy Eye scored solo runs in each of the first three innings and added two more in the fifth inning. Fairmont scored a run in the fourth inning when Crissinger singled home Schmidtke, who had walked and stole second base.

Fairmont scored its final two runs in the fifth inning. Soelter singled and eventually scored on Cooper Steuber’s sacrifice fly and Anderson came home when Pooley reached on a fielding error. The catcher caught Pooley attempting to steal second, but Anderson, who was on third base at the time, raced home to make it a 5-3 game.

Fairmont (0-2) plays host to Jackson at 5 p.m. Thursday at Herb Wolf Field.

Sleepy Eye 111 020 0 — 5 9 1

Fairmont 000 120 0 — 3 7 3

Jake Price (WP), Jackson Huiras (7, Sv) and Caden Evers. Nate Soelter (LP), Brendan Schmidtke and (5) and Levi Pooley.

LOB–Sleepy Eye 8, Fairmont 8. SF–Cooper Steuber (FMT).