RUNDOWN FEELING — Fairmont third baseman Landen Meyerdirk (left) sprints to tag out Maple River runner Jax Boening during a rundown between second and third base during nonconference baseball action Friday night at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT — Class AA No. 1-ranked Fairmont stormed to four sixth-inning runs on the heels of a lightning delay to exit Herb Wolf Field with a 10-run rule victory on Friday night.

Ace right-hander Brendan Schmidtke pitched five near-perfect shutout innings of one-hit baseball, while Landen Meyerdirk and Lincoln Becker packed a 1-2 punch from the top of the batting order to power the Cardinals to a 13-3, six-inning non-league triumph over the Maple River Eagles.

“Brendan’s been doing a good job of spotting his fastball and the rest of his pitches,” said Fairmont head coach Don Waletich. “Coaches love a ‘pitch-to-contact’ guy on the mound like him. He keeps the defense active, and he’ll sneak in strikeouts here and there.”

Schmidtke demonstrated his stellar command of his deliveries by striking out six without issuing a walk in five innings to earn the win. The Cardinals’ senior hurler maintained a perfect game through four frames before Maple River’s Aidan Sindelir singled with two outs in the top of the fifth.

While Schmidtke retired the first dozen Eagle batters he faced, Becker singled twice to drive in three runs and trigger the Cardinals’ 9-0 margin through two completed frames.

Meyerdirk, who went 2-for-3, legged out a leadoff double in the home half of the first before easily circling the bases on Becker’s RBI single to right field for a 1-0 lead.

Cooper Steuber, who went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, set the table for Fairmont’s eight-run explosion during the bottom of the second. Steuber singled, swiped second and stayed put on a walk to Cole Wiemers.

Meyerdirk singled sharply to center one out later to load the bases before Becker — who went 3-for-5 — hammered a two-run single to left for a 3-0 edge. Meyerdirk then crossed the plate on Nate Soelter’s RBI single before Jack Kosbab was plunked by Maple River starting pitcher Asher Krengel.

After a fielder’s choice, both Levi Pooley and Steuber reached on Eagle errors that allowed three more runs to score for a 7-0 lead. Wiemers then knocked a two-run single during his second trip to the batter’s box in the second for a 9-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they stranded three runners during the next three innings without extending their lead to double figures to set up a mercy-rule early exit.

Maple River plated three unearned runs via two Fairmont defensive miscues during the top of the sixth inning before lightning forced the game to be delayed at 9-3 heading into the home half of the sixth.

Bryce Piotter, who walked, and Landon Fox, who singled, each scored for the Eagles when Braxton Simon’s grounder to short was thrown away at first base. Simon later scored on Jax Boening’s bloop RBI single to trim the Cardinals’ lead to 9-3.

“I thought our players stayed focused on the task at hand and put together a good response offensively after waiting out the weather delay,” said Waletich.

After watching a brief outburst of drizzle from the dugout, the Cardinals removed the tarp around home plate before Steuber jumpstarted Fairmont’s sixth-inning bid to collect the run-rule win.

Steuber smacked a one-out single before Wiemers, Joseph Hackett and Meyerdirk drew consecutive walks, with Steuber and Wiemers scored on wild pitches, respectively.

With courtesy runner Carson Pomerenke and Meyerdirk at first and third, respectively, Becker appeared to have potentially ended the game by lining a single to right field. Pomerenke scored, but Meyerdirk collided with a Maple River infielder in the base line near third and did not score.

Kosbab, however, ended the suspense by drilling a ‘walk-off’ RBI single back up the middle to score Meyerdirk with the game-clinching run with two out in the last of the sixth inning.

Becker finished with game-bests of three hits and four RBIs for the Cardinals, while Kosbab went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored.

Moeller walked one during his one inning of two-hit relief for Fairmont.

Maple River starting pitcher Asher Krengel gave up nine runs — only four earned — on seven hits, hit three batters, fanned one and walked three in three innings to take the loss.

Fairmont (3-0) travels to Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome on Monday for a non-league game against Martin County West.

Maple River (2-1) squares off against Belle Plaine at 3 p.m. today at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato in a nonconference diamond clash.

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Winning run scored with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Asher Krengel (LP), Landon Fox (4) and Landon Fox, Braxton Simon (4). Brendan Schmidtke (WP), Ben Moeller (6) and Joseph Hackett.

LOB–Fairmont 8, Maple River 2. 2B–Landen Meyerdirk (FMT).

Starting pitcher Joe Long and reliever Cole Brockmann combined for 10 strikeouts in firing a five-hitter to guide Fairmont to a 6-1 victory over Maple River during junior varsity action Friday in Fairmont.

Long notched seven strikeouts, walked three and allowed one earned run on four hits in five innings of work to earn the victory. Brockmann struck out three, issued two walks and gave up one hit in two shutout innings of relief.

Merrit Pomerenke and Cole Nawrocki each generated two hits to top Fairmont’s offense. Nawrocki scored two runs and delivered one RBI, while Pomerenke crossed the plate once.

Kellen Fritz contributed one hit and one RBI to the Cardinals’ winning ways, while Connor Sanvig and Nolyn Goerndt chipped in one hit apiece.

Prep Softball

Fairmont 8, St. James Area 3 — A rare 3-0 start to the spring softball season.

Ace right-hander Tegan Livesay matched the single-game school-record strikeout mark she established only three days earlier, and combined with teammate Brylee Miller to serve as offensive catalysts behind the Cardinals’ 8-3 triumph over the Saints on Friday night in St. James.

Livesay, who held the Saints scoreless through the first three innings before a lightning delay, notched an incredible 18 strikeouts in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game win. Livesay allowed three runs — two earned — on three hits and issued five walks on the Big South Conference clash.

Livesay also displayed her solid lumber by going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Miller went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored from the leadoff spot in the Fairmont batting order.

Chantel Moeller drilled a double for one RBI in two official at-bats for the Cardinals, while Nevaeh Rahm slugged a double to go with one RBI and one run scored.

Ava Terfehr singled and scored for Fairmont, while Emily Muller and Ava Gillmore contributed one single each to the Cardinals’ 12-hit performance.

St. James Area starting pitcher Laney Bowers gave up eight runs — six earned — on the dozen hits, struck out seven and walked six in pitching the seven-inning distance.

Fairmont (3-0) travels to St. Peter on Tuesday.

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Makenzie Lowry, Tiffany Lowry and Saige Leiding each pounded out two hits to power Fairmont to a 12-2 run-rule win over St. James Area during junior varsity action Friday night in St. James.

Saige Leiding also handled the Cardinals’ pitching duties by striking out four batters in four innings of work to garner the win.

Jadyn Musser, Abi Sundeen, Makayla Lowry, Haleigh Grotzinger, Brooklyn Murphy and Reese Olson contributed one hit apiece to Fairmont’s offensive effort.

Martin County West 9, Madelia 7 — Emily Anderson collected two hits, including a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, and generated a game-best four RBIs to engineer the Mavericks’ two-run victory over the Blackhawks during a nonconference game Friday night in Madelia.

Hannah Rosenberg smacked two hits, including a double, crossed the plate three times and collected one RBI for the Mavericks, while teammate Lina Arnold supplied a single, a double and one RBI.

Maddie Carlson recorded nine strikeouts and issued one walk in seven innings pitched to pocket the complete-game victory for MCW.

Emma Coil smacked two HRs en route to three RBIs to top Madelia’s effort.

Blackhawks starting pitcher Corban Tatro allowed seven runs, struck out six and walked six in 4 1/3 innings of work to take the loss.

Martin County West (2-0) travels to Jackson County Central on Monday night for a non-league game.

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MAD     210 300 1 — 7 6 4