ABOVE: Fairmont third baseman Merritt Pomerenke fields a ground ball during a Section 2AA baseball tournament game against Windom on Monday at Legion Field in Marshall. Photo by Jake McNeil

MARSHALL — Early defensive struggles put the Fairmont Cardinals in an insurmountable early hole against Windom in the Section 3AA baseball tournament elimination bracket on Monday at Legion Field. Fairmont found its offensive rhythm late but couldn’t overcome the five runs it gave up in the second inning, falling 8-5 to end its season.

Windom strung together three runs in the top of the seventh after going scoreless for four innings. Facing a five-run deficit, the Cardinals still battled in the bottom of the frame.

Joseph Livesay drew a leadoff walk and a Luke Haefner double and a Mason Bicknase walk loaded the bases with one out. The Eagles struck out the next Fairmont batter, but Eric Determan lined a ball into right field and an error allowed him to reach base safely. Livesay and Haefner scored on the play, but Determan was tagged out on the basepath to home to end the game.

“The guys we have, they don’t give up. Even if we’re down, they don’t give up,” Fairmont assistant coach Matt Lytle said. “We’ve got a lot of good leadership on this team. We’ve got a lot of good young guys coming back next year too, so a lot to look forward to.”

The Cardinals graduate three seniors in Determan, Tyler Kurt and Micah Vaughn.

“Those guys came to practice every day, they didn’t complain, they’re hard workers,” Lytle said emotionally. “They’re just really good teammates.”

Josh Soelter put the Cardinals off to a strong start, crushing the first pitch he faced into the ivy on the right-field wall for a double. Joe Hackett singled to put runners on the corners and, while Hackett was caught trying to steal second, a Jensen Livesay single scored Soelter for the game’s first run.

Yet, a series of defensive miscues allowed the Eagles to establish a sizable lead in the top of the second. Steven Meyer walked, Joe Walinga singled and Matthew Voehl reached on an error on the throw to first to load the bases with no outs.

Fairmont committed its second error of the inning on a Charles Erickson bunt, allowing a pair of runs to score, and Jackson Anderson walked to reload the bases.

A balk drove in Voehl and, after a fielder’s choice on the basepath to home put one away, the Cardinals committed another error with a high throw to first, sending the ball into the infield and sending a pair of Eagles home for a 5-1 Windom advantage.

Lytle cited execution on bunt coverages as something Fairmont struggled with on the defensive end, but credited Windom for its execution.

“[Windom] made all the bunts, they executed everything they needed to do, so credit to them. But we’ll be hungry next year,” Lytle said.

Windom returned the favor for Fairmont’s fielding miscues by committing an error of its own to start the bottom of the second, allowing Bicknase to reach base safely. The Eagles retired each of the next two Cardinals, but a balk advanced the runner to third and Long singled in the run, cutting Windom’s lead to three runs.

Long finished with two of the Cardinals’ six hits on the day, including a triple. Livesay and Haefner each also finished with a hit and a walk while Crissinger walked twice.

Bicknase threw the first two innings for the Cardinals, giving up two earned and three unearned runs on two hits and two walks before being relieved. In relief, Brayden Williamson threw three shutout innings, giving up five hits and a walk, while Soelter was tagged for one earned and two unearned runs on two hits and a walk over the final two innings.

Anderson and Quintin Tietz hit consecutive singles for the Eagles to start the fifth. Yet, a long bunt down the third baseline allowed the Cardinals to get the force out at third, Hackett made an on-line throw to second to catch a runner stealing and Williamson induced a pop out to escape the jam unscathed.

Tietz threw the first 6 1/3 innings for Windom before being pulled due to pitch count. He gave up two earned and two unearned runs on five hits and five walks with six strikeouts. Walinga got the final two outs while allowing one unearned run on a hit and a walk.

Windom nearly was able to bolster its lead in the sixth. Erickson and Anderson hit consecutive singles and Tietz sent a deep fly ball to straightaway center before Nolyn Goerndt made a terrific grab to save the hit.

Erickson tried to tag up and score from second on the play, but a strong throw from Goerndt resulted in the Cardinals catching Erickson in the rundown on the basepath to home for a double play to prevent Windom from scoring.

Fairmont finishes its season at 18-5 with just two in-section losses, both to Windom. The Cardinals will return all of their starters next season, bringing about optimism for next season.

“This is a really close-knit group, so they’re going to stick together this offseason, this winter, and put in the work so we can get past this point next year and hopefully beyond,” Lytle said.