THE DELIVERY — Fairmont starting pitcher Nate Soelter delivers a pitch against St. Peter during Big South Conference baseball action Tuesday night at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. Soelter pitched 6 2/3 innings as the Cardinals defeated the visiting Saints, 6-3. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Nate Soelter worked 6 2/3 solid innings on the mound, while Levi Pooley and Cooper Steuber each delivered pivotal run-scoring hits to guide No. 1-ranked Fairmont to a 6-3 Big South Conference victory over the St. Peter Saints on Tuesday.

The hometown Cardinals extended their season-opening winning streak to four consecutive games with their second straight victory at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

“Nate pitched a heckuva good game against a very good hitting team today,” Fairmont head coach Don Waletich said in reference to Soelter’s four-hit performance. “He had good velocity and solid command of his pitches.”

Soelter scattered three hits through five scoreless innings before St. Peter spoiled his shutout bid by manufacturing a solo run in the top of the sixth.

Two Fairmont errors and two hit batters — shared equally by Soelter and closer Landen Meyerdirk — during the top of the seventh allowed the Saints to plate two unearned runs before Meyerdirk gloved a comebacker with the bases loaded to preserve the win.

“I thought we made solid contact and came up with some timely hits when we needed them,” said Waletich.

Pooley did exactly that by producing the initial clutch hit to stake the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead during the bottom of the second inning.

Jack Kosbab and Steuber drew back-to-back walks from Saints’ starting side-armer Matias Anderson to lead off the bottom of the second.

Brendan Schmidtke, who made a nice back-handed stop and long accurate throw from third base across the diamond to end the top of the second, displayed his bat-handling skills at the plate. Schmidtke bunted Kosbab and Steuber into scoring position and Pooley deposited a key two-run single into right field for a 2-0 lead.

Lincoln Becker then reached on an infield hit to open the Cardinals’ third at-bat, moved to second when Soelter was plunked, wheeled to third on Kosbab’s ground-out and scored on Steuber’s RBI single to center for a 3-0 edge.

Joseph Hackett helped widen the home team’s lead to 4-0 by legging out an infield hit with one out in the home half of the fourth before Carson Pomerenke served as Hackett’s courtesy runner. Pomerenke eventually circled the bases on Soelter’s RBI single to center.

The Cardinals then manufactured solo runs in the fifth and sixth via a combined four Saints’ errors before the visitors made a comeback bid in the seventh.

Becker went 1-for-3 with two runs scored for Fairmont, Skyler Aukes delivered a hit-and-run single, while Schmidtke followed his key sacrifice bunt with three consecutive walks.

Soelter gave up three runs — only one earned — on four hits, struck out five, plunked two and walked two in 6 2/3 frames to earn the win.

Anderson allowed three earned runs on three hits, struck out two, plunked one and issued four walks for the Saints in taking the loss.

Fairmont (4-0) plays host to Worthington at 5:30 p.m. Thursday back at Herb Wolf Field, while St. Peter (1-1) travels to New Ulm on Thursday for a league game at Mueller Park.

STP        000 001 2 — 3 4 5

FMT       021  111 x — 6 6 2

Matias Anderson (LP), Tate Olson (4), Drew Simonette (6) and Sam Moelter. Nate Soelter (WP), Landen Meyerdirk (7, Sv) and Joseph Hackett.

LOB–Fairmont 9, St. Peter 8. SAC–Brendan Schmidtke (FMT) and Joseph Hackett (FMT).

Luke Haefner went 2-for-2, including delivering a clutch two-run hit during Fairmont’s four-run bottom of the sixth inning, to rally the Cardinals to a 4-2 win over St. Peter during C-squad action Tuesday night in Fairmont.

Haefner generated three stolen bases and also was hit by a pitch on the game, teammate Joey Crissinger went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases, while Mac Larson supplied one RBI in the sixth.

Larson struck out nine and walked three while allowing two earned runs on one hit in four innings pitched to receive a no-decision for the Cardinals.

Crissinger struck out six and walked four in three shutout and hitless innings of relief to net the win for Fairmont.

Madelia 7, Martin County West 4 — Eric Anderson went 2-for-3 with a triple, one RBI and one run scored to guide the Blackhawks to a three-run Valley Conference victory over the Mavericks on Tuesday in Madelia.

Tate Becker allowed four runs — two earned — on five hits in five innings of work to earn the win for Madelia. Becker struck out nine and walked four.

Wyatt Williamson went 1-for-1 with two walks, stolen two bases and scored two runs to top the Mavericks, while teammate Jacob Clarke went 1-for-2 with one RBI.

Martin County West (0-2) travels to Cleveland on Thursday.