ABOVE: The Fairmont Martins’ Luke Becker connects for one his five hits during a District 8B Amateur Baseball Tournament game Saturday against North Mankato at Johnson Park in New Ulm. Photo by Travis Rosenau

NEW ULM — The Fairmont Martins rode a three-homer game from Luke Becker to a 12-2 win over the North Mankato Gators Saturday in the District 8B Amateur Baseball Tournament at Johnson Park.

The win moved Fairmont on to a game with the Bird Island Bullfrogs on Sunday at Johnson Park, a game which the Bullfrogs won 9-3.

Despite the loss to Bird Island, the Martins are still alive in the playoffs and play at 11 a.m. this coming Saturday against Luverne at Johnson Park. A win over Luverne would move the Martins on to a Saturday night game, with the winner of that elimination bracket game earning one of three state berths. New Ulm and Bird Island both clinched a state tournament berth with wins Sunday.

A loss this coming Saturday ends the Martins’ season.

Fairmont 12,

North Mankato 2

(7 innings)

In the win over the Gators, Luke Becker was dominant for the Martins at the plate, going 5 for 5 with three home runs, a triple, a double and six RBIs.

“This was my best amateur game,” said Becker, who homered in each of his first three at-bats. “I had a slow summer, so I was saving this for the playoffs — it was good to bust it out now.”

Luke Becker, who has been leading off all summer for the Martins, said that hitting home runs was something that he has been trying to do all summer.

“I usually swing at the first pitch, but I have been working some counts lately,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I was not trying (for home runs).”

Levi Becker also had a nice game for the Martins, going 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI, while Nate Soelter homered and drove in three runs and Lincoln Becker doubled.

Josh Smith got the mound win over the Gators, going six innings and allowing five hits and two walks for two runs, one earned, while striking out nine. Jack Hested pitched the seventh and allowed one walk and no hits.

Luke Becker got the scoring started with a solo homer in the first and a sac fly off the bat of Bryce Borkenhagen made it 2-0 in the second. Luke Becker’s second homer of the day was a three-run homer that made it 5-0 in the second.

After a walk to Lincoln Becker, Soelter got involved in the home run derby with a two-run homer to put Fairmont up 7-0.

Luke Becker said with his triple that came in his fourth at-bat, he was just trying to put the ball in play when he was down two strikes.

“It would have been nice to get another homer, but I did not want to strike out,” he said.

Luke Becker scored the final run of the game in the seventh to end the game due to the 10-run lead rule.

Gavin Krause led North Mankato at the plate, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Riley Bersaw took the mound loss in four innings, allowing 10 hits and two walks for nine earned runs while striking out three.

The win moved Fairmont on to Sunday’s winners bracket matchup with Bird Island.

Bird Island 9, Fairmont 3

While Luke Becker was 5 for 5 against the Gators, the Bullfrogs held him in check as he went 0 for 2 with a walk. Joseph Hackett was 2 for 4 to lead the Fairmont bats against Bird Island, while Lance Becker and Soelter each had a double.

Spencer Chirpich took the mound loss in six innings, surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five.

Bird Island took an early 5-0 lead after two innings, led by a four-run second inning that saw an RBI double from Braeden Tersteeg, an RBI single from Trent Athmann and a two-run double by James Woelfel.

Luke Becker had a sac fly in the bottom of the second to get Fairmont on the board, but another RBI double, this time from Elliott Serbus, had Bird Island back in front by five, 6-1.

Joey Crissinger had a sac fly of his own for Fairmont in the sixth to have Fairmont down 6-2, but Woelfel’s second two-run double of the game in the bottom of the sixth had the Bullfrogs up 8-2.

Fairmont got its last run in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk by Lincoln Becker, and Bird Island got the final run in the eighth on a sac fly from Tersteeg.

Jordan Sagedahl got the win for Bird Island in six innings, allowing four hits and two walks for two earned runs while striking out five.