NEW ULM – The Fairmont Martins’ season came to a close this past Saturday after dropping to Luverne in the District 8B Amateur Baseball Tournament at Johnson Park.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, the Martins allowed seven straight Redbird runs to put the game away.

Fairmont ended the season with an 11-4 record on the season, finishing the year dropping three of its past five contests.

The game started off slow for both teams. Both teams combined for one hit in the first three frames of the contest.

Spencer Chirpich got things going for the Martins offensively. After back-to-back singles from Joey Crissinger and Lance Becker put runners on first and second, Chirpich roped a line drive to right that brought in the game’s first run.

This was the only lead held by the Martins, however.

Luverne tied the contest up in the top of the fifth. With a runner on third and two outs on the board, the Redbirds took advantage of a Martins error to bring their first runner across home plate.

The Redbirds didn’t look back there.

In the top of the seventh, with two outs on the board, Luverne’s Elliot Domagala doubled to center field to drive in runners from first and second.

The finishing touches were put on the next inning.

Again, with two outs on the board, the Rebirds took advantage of runners on the basepaths. Stringing together four hits in the frame, Luverne added four runs to the lead to put the game out of reach.

All seven of Luverne’s runs came with two outs on the board, respectively.

Fairmont added a run to its score in the bottom of the eighth after yet another Chirpich RBI base knock. The Martins ended the game outhitting Luverne nine to seven.

Despite Fairmont’s season coming to an end, the Martins had two players drafted to state-qualifying teams from the district in the District 8B state pitchers draft.

The New Ulm Brewers, winners of the District 8B title, got the first pick with the tournament win and selected Fairmont’s Spencer Chirpich. Bird Island, the runners-up in the tournament, used its first pick to take Fairmont’s Derek Shoen.