GOING, GOING, GONE — Fairmont hitter Brylee Miller (left) and Marshall catcher Mackenzie Olsen watch the flight of Miller’s first-inning home run in Game 1 of the two Big South Conference teams’ softball doubleheader on Thursday night at Cardinal Park in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Fairmont ace hurler Tegan Livesay and her Class AA No. 10-ranked Cardinal softball teammates just keep producing numbers that fall into the “first time ever” category.

Livesay eclipsed her own single-game school strikeout record with a perfect 21 in Fairmont’s 5-1 Game 1 win over Marshall before the senior right-hander notched 17 more to fuel her complete-game shutout in caging the Tigers, 6-0, in Game 2 on Thursday night at Cardinal Park.

“Definitely two key (Big South) conference games for us, so we (coaching staff) decided to throw her tonight,” said Fairmont head coach Cory Hainy, whose lineup earned the school’s first-ever appearance in the state softball rankings earlier Thursday. “Tegan had her changeup working, especially during the second game. Now we can give her some days off from pitching.”

Livesay, who set the program’s single-game strikeout record at 18 on April 11 before matching it two more times this spring, allowed one run on two hits and walked only one in seven innings of work during the opener.

Brylee Miller hammered Marshall right-hander Olivia Houseman’s high fastball over the left-field fence for a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first of Game 1. Miller’s home run to lead off a game was a first-of-its-kind for the program.

Livesay drew a one-out walk before courtesy runner Ashley Muller circled the bases on Nevaeh Rahm’s RBI hit off the left-field fence to a 2-0 lead.

“Brylee and Nevaeh combined equally for four hits — three for extra bases — and four RBIs to get our offense going early in the opener,” said Hainy. “We had a total of 15 hits during the doubleheader, but I thought our girls hit the ball with authority tonight and hit a lot of barrels.”

Livesay struck out the first 11 Tigers in Game 1 before walking Lauren Wherry in the fourth to keep the score at 2-0 until the fifth.

Ava Gillmore walked, Kynlie Anderson bunted her to second base and Gillmore scored on Miller’s RBI triple to center. Anna Ehlert legged out a deadened bunt at the plate before Miller crossed the plate on Livesay’s sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. Rahm then slugged an RBI double to bring home Ehlert for the five-run lead.

Game 2 proved a mirror image of the opener as Livesay notched 17 strikeouts, Rahm went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, Ehlert went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple and scored three runs, while Miller went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Livesay and Abi Sundeen each produced one sacrifice fly, while Chantel Moeller collected a game-best two RBIs with a pair of fielder’s choices to pace the 6-0 win.

Livesay issued two walks and allowed two hits in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game shutout in the nightcap.

Miller and Ehlert triggered the Cardinals’ two-run first at-bat by singling and doubling, respectively, before Miller crossed home on Livesay’s sacrifice fly. Rahm singled and Moeller’s grounder to short brought home Ehlert for a 2-0 lead.

Ehlert then belted a one-out triple in the third before wheeling around the bases when Rahm unloaded an RBI double off the center-field fence.

Ava Terfehr walked and Miller singled to set the stage for Fairmont’s three-run fifth frame. The Cardinals combined one Tiger throwing error, two fielder’s choices that generated no outs and Sundeen’s sacrifice fly to double their lead to 6-0.

Fairmont (12-1), the first-ever team in program history to win a dozen in just 13 games, travels to Jackson today for a 5:30 p.m. game.

Martin County West 10, Madelia 0 — Starting pitcher Maddie Carlson and closer Lina Arnold combined on a two-hitter to steer the Mavericks to a six-inning run-rule win over the Blackhawks during Valley Conference action Thursday in Welcome.

Carlson struck out four, walked one and allowed two hits in five innings of work to earn the victory. Arnold struck out one and walked two in one inning of relief.

Arnold and Carlson also wielded lethal lumber to support their own pitching causes. Arnold slugged a three-run HR in the first inning and added a single, while Carlson contributed a two-run single to the Mavericks’ 11-hit effort.

Thea Anderson produced three hits, including a double, to drive in one run for MCW, Hannah Rosenberg tripled, singled and generated two RBIs, while Emily Anderson chipped in a two-run single.

Martin County West (10-3) hosts Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Tuesday in Welcome.

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 15, Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther/Truman 0 — Starter Avery Voges and reliever Nettie Parsons combined to hurl a one-hitter, while Ella Voges and Julia Montgomery each homered to pace the Class AA No. 9-ranked Knights’ four-inning run-rule win over the Jaguars on Thursday night in Lake Crystal.

Londyn Bowers delivered a fourth-inning single for the Jaguars to spoil LCWM’s pitching duo’s bid for a perfect game.

Avery Voges struck out eight and did not issue a walk in three shutout and hitless innings of work for the Knights. Parsons fanned three and allowed one hit in one scoreless inning.

Ella Voges belted a three-run HR and scored twice, while Montgomery also slugged a three-run HR.

Addie Ahern doubled, singled, generated two RBIs and scored twice, Liv Harazin supplied an RBI triple and Parsons went 3-for-3 with a run scored to pace LCWM’s offense.

The Jaguars play host to Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda today in Truman.

Prep Baseball

Mankato Loyola 11, Martin County West 3 — T.J. O’Malley and Aaron Engen combined equally for four hits and four RBIs to propel the Crusaders by the Mavericks in Valley Conference action Thursday in Mankato.

Mark Stoffel allowed two runs on four hits, struck out nine and walked two in 4 1/3 innings pitched to earn the win for Loyola.

Wyatt Williamson went 2-for-4 with one RBI, Lucas Larson singled home a run, while Riley Kascht supplied two hits to top MCW.

Zach Anderson allowed 10 runs — only 1 earned due to eight Maverick errors — on nine hits in five-plus innings. Anderson struck out two and did not issue a walk.

MCW (3-4) travels to Mountain Lake today for a doubleheader.