STEALING HOME — Fairmont Martins runner Derek Shoen (right) steals home before Jackson Bulls catcher Carter Snyder can apply the tag during the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 1 of the teams’ best-of-3 Region 13C amateur baseball semifinal series Wednesday night at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Fairmont cleanup hitter Derek Shoen and the No. 2-seeded Martins literally stole Game 1 of their best-of-3 Region 13C amateur baseball semifinal series against the No. 6-seeded Jackson Bulls on Wednesday night.

Knotted at 3-all with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, the 6-foot-4 Shoen sprinted from third base during Jackson left-hander Landon Vaske’s pitch to Brendan Schmidtke in the batter’s box.

Schmidtke alertly took the pitch for a called third strike as Shoen easily beat the delivery for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run in the Martins’ 4-3 decision over the Bulls at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

Fairmont (18-5) travels to Jackson to face the Bulls in Game 2 of the series at Wacker Field at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

“I asked (third base coach) Adam (Schmidt) if I could steal home on the play,” said Shoen, who capped his outstanding collegiate baseball career at the University of Mary this past spring. “I figured since he was a left-hander and had his back to me, I could time my jump (from third base) as he went into the windup.

“He (Vaske) took so long to throw the pitch, I beat the catcher’s tag easily, and I broke my belt in the process,” Shoen said with a laugh.

The Martins actually trailed the Bulls, 3-2, heading into their potential next-to-last at-bat after a rare three Fairmont errors in the top of the seventh allowed Jackson to rally from a 2-1 deficit.

Fairmont’s Ethan Hurn led off with a single to center before Vaske — who relieved starting pitcher Will Larson in the bottom of the second inning — exited the mound in favor of Trace Michelson.

Michelson then plunked Shoen and Jackson manager Scott Bahr flip-flopped Michelson to first base and Vaske back to the mound. Vaske got a groundout before intentionally walking Jack Kosbab to load the bases to create a forceout situation at any base.

Vaske then plunked Arnaldo Malave to plate Hurn with the game-tying run at 3-all. Shoen then swiped home to stake the Martins to a 4-3 edge.

Spencer Chirpich stepped to the hill in the top of the ninth to close out Fairmont’s win by striking out one and allowing an infield hit in his shutout relief appearance.

Ironically, Adam Schmidt, who was charged with two unearned runs via Fairmont’s three errors in the seventh, received the pitching win. Schmidt struck out three, did not issue a walk and gave up two hits in two innings of relief.

Martins’ starting pitcher Josh Smith gave up one earned run on eight scattered hits in six innings to receive a no-decision. The hard-throwing right-hander recorded a game-best nine strikeouts and did not issue a walk.

Fairmont manufactured its initial two runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Landen Meyerdirk legged out a bunt hit, swiped second base and motored to third on a wild pitch.

Chirpich then drilled an infield line-drive hit off Vaske’s cleats to put runners at the corners. Meyerdirk later crossed the plate on Lincoln Becker’s RBI groundout before Chirpich did likewise on Hurn’s run-scoring groundout.

Jackson answered with a solo run in the top of the sixth. Payton Handevidt legged out a pinch-hit leadoff double, moved to third on Easton Bahr’s single to right and scored on Carter Snyder’s perfectly-executed suicide-squeeze bunt toward third.

Chirpich went 4-for-4 with a run scored to top Fairmont’s seven-hit offensive effort, while Hurn, Shoen and Landen Meyerdirk each chipped in one hit.

Seth Busch went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Bulls, while Chris Gumto and Easton Bahr each produced two hits. Bahr added a sacrifice fly for one RBI in the seventh.

Vaske allowed three runs on six hits, struck out five, walked two and hit one batter in seven combined innings to take the loss for Jackson.