Nate Soelter

WORTHINGTON — Nate Soelter delivered a game-opening jolt from the batter’s box and the undefeated Class AA No. 1-ranked Fairmont Cardinal baseball lineup never looked back on Tuesday.

Soelter went 3-for-4, triggered by his solo home run in the top of the first inning, with a game-best five RBIs to power Fairmont to a 13-3 triumph over the Worthington Trojans during Big South Conference action in Worthington.

Soelter doubled, scored three runs and received an intentional walk to pace the Cardinals’ 11-hit performance offensively.

Fairmont’s ace right-hander also earned the victory on the mound by allowing two runs on four hits in five frames of work. Soelter finished with four strikeouts and only one walk.

Ben Moeller allowed one run on three hits, fanned two and issued one walk in two innings of relief to seal the Cardinals’ run-rule win.

Lincoln Becker went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and produced one RBI for Fairmont, while Landen Meyerdirk doubled in three official at-bats, drove in two runs and crossed the plate once.

Jack Kosbab singled home a run for the Cardinals, Cooper Steuber doubled in a run, Levi Pooley doubled and scored once, Moeller chipped in an RBI single and Joseph Hackett supplied one hit and one run.

Fairmont (5-0) travels to Tink Larson Field in Waseca on Friday for a 4 p.m. Big South doubleheader against the host Bluejays.

Mack Larson produced two hits, including a double, to generate a game-best five RBIs to power Fairmont to a 16-6, six-inning rout over Worthington during C-squad action Tuesday.

Larson also scored two runs, while Josh Soelter crossed the plate twice after going 2-for-3 with a double.

Reed Johnson and Owen Terfehr each went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and runs scored for the Cardinals, Braydon Williamson went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and one RBI, while Vincent Schultz delivered a double.

Luke Haefner struck out seven, walked four and allowed one run on one hit in pitching the first three innings to earn the win for Fairmont.

Martin County West 8, St. Clair 7 — Riley Kascht singled and scored the go-ahead run before Cody Potts legged out a bunt hit and scored the eventual game-winning run during the bottom of the sixth to help the Mavericks tame the Cyclones on Tuesday in Welcome.

Tied at 6-all, Kascht reached on a hit before moving into scoring position on Potts’ bunt single. Kascht crossed the plate with the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch. Potts later scored the proverbial insurance run on Zach Anderson’s sacrifice fly.

Kascht and Wyatt Williamson each produced two of MCW’s eight hits, with Williamson hammering a double and driving in two runs. Anderson added a hit to complement his sacrifice fly.

Tyson Thiesse earned the win in relief, pitching 1 2/3 innings. Thiesse gave up one run on two hits, walked two and struck out one. Lucas Larson notched the save by striking out one in working the final 2/3s of an inning.

Martin County West (2-2) travels to Lake Crystal on Thursday.