ABOVE: Fairmont shortstop Brayden Williamson runs through first base after beating out a fielder's choice play in the second inning.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Junior Legion baseball team topped New Richland on Monday night, 14-4, at Winnebago Diamonds Sports Complex.

Despite falling behind by two in the first frame of action, Fairmont scored 14 unanswered runs, eventually leading to an early fifth-inning finish.

It took Fairmont starting pitcher Mason Bicknase a couple of batters to eventually settle into the contest. But by then, New Richland had already tallied a pair of runs. After giving up two hits and an error, the Fairmont defense walked off the field facing an early deficit.

“We know Mason, especially starting off, is going to settle in and pitch well,” Fairmont coach Brian Hackett said. “He’s our ace for the year.”

The Fairmont offense crawled back into the contest and immediately knotted up the game in their half of the inning. Brayden Williamson and Joseph Hackett led the frame off by taking consecutive hit by pitches, immediately putting pressure on the Red Raider defense.

Both runners took advantage of their speed on the basepaths. After a handful of wild pitches and a sacrifice flyout to center, this game was tied.

The fun didn’t stop there.

A one-two-three inning from Bicknase immediately brought up the Fairmont offense. The attack started after a pair of walks and a single loaded up the bases.

However, the pressure fell back onto Fairmont quickly. The Fairmont offense generated a groundout and a strikeout on consecutive at bats, immediately threatening the end of this rally.

With two outs on the board, Fairmont took advantage of more mishaps from the New Richland defense to continue the inning.

Following another hit by pitch from the Red Raider pitching staff, Brock Rodning chopped a grounder to the New Richland third baseman. The ball sailed over the second baseman’s head and rolled into the outfield, clearing the bases of all previous Fairmont players.

The fun continued with consecutive singles from Vinny Schultz and Gavin Schomberg. This brought in Rodning to score and added even more momentum to the offense.

Later down the batting order, Preston Geerdes came to the plate with runners on the corners. Geerdes was aggressive at the plate, putting a jolt into a ball that traveled deep over the left field wall, putting an exclamation point on the inning.

“It was great,” Hackett said about the second inning,” Preston has been struggling lately, and to see him hit that home run was icing on the cake.”

Fairmont scored four more runs in the third and fourth innings to take an even more commanding lead.

New Richland put on a couple more runs in the fifth inning in hopes of extending the game. Holding onto the 10-run lead, Fairmont closed the door on the Red Raiders, ending the contest with the mercy rule in full effect.