Photo by Daniel Olson: Fairmont starting pitcher Preston Geerdes tosses the ball during Thursday afternoon's contest against Waseca at Herb Wolf Field.

FAIRMONT – Though lightning postponed the game for nearly an hour, the Fairmont Cardinals kept their eye on the ball en route to a 13-0 win in five innings over Waseca.

The game was moved up to 4:30 to get in as much game as possible, in case things took a turn for the worse with the weather. After the Cardinals’ defense turned a double play in the first, they took an early lead in the bottom half as Nolyn Goerndt hit a single and stole second to give himself a more advantageous position.

It would be a moot point, as Jensen Livesay smashed a pitch over the fence in right field for a home run, putting the Cardinals up early, 2-0. There was almost more on the board, but a groundout ended the inning with the bases loaded.

It was midway through the top of the second when a lightning strike was close enough for the referees to call for a delay. Head Coach Don Waletich said the team was able to practice some relays and have some fun during the 50-minute delay, but it was all serious when play resumed.

A runner was stranded on third in the second inning, but the Cardinals teed off in the bottom of the third after pitcher Preston Geerdes kept Waseca at bay. Singles by Livesay and Joey Crissinger preceded Joseph Hackett, bringing Livesay home on a double.

Mason Bicknase then brought home two more on another double, scoring Crissinger and Hackett. Vincent Schultz, who had grounded out with bases loaded earlier in the game, got his revenge with a single that sent Bicknase home.

Waseca switched it up, bringing in a new pitcher. While they got the next batter out on a fly ball, the hot inning would continue afterward. Joe Long hit a single that advanced Schultz to third, and Long was able to steal second. In a pressure-filled situation, Goerndt unleashed a double that got Schultz and Long home.

Merritt Pomerenke, the last batter who had not hit in the inning, singled to score Goerndt for Goerndt’s second run of the game. The order then looped around, but after a Livesay double to score Pomerenke and a single from Crissinger, two fly-outs ended the third inning at 10-0.

Seeing a rally like that with continuous pop off the bat, Waletich said the players are really starting to get confident at this point in the season.

“Some of the guys that were struggling earlier in the year are starting to come around now,” he said. “The confidence is there. I thought our approach at the plate was very good today, and everybody was seeing the ball well. A lot of confidence for the boys up at the plate.”

The game continued to be out of reach for Waseca afterward as Geerdes, pitching on a day’s notice after the original starter fell ill, only allowed four hits. The Cardinals poured a little more on in the fourth, as singles by Pomerenke and Livesay scored Isaac Stone and Goerndt, for Livesay’s third RBI and Goerndt’s third run, and a bases-loaded walk brought home Pomerenke to make it 13-0.

Waseca got one last shot at the top of the 5th, but could not put anything together. Looking forward, Waletich said he is looking to see more of tonight’s performance.

“Continue gaining confidence,” he said. “Playing a lot of ball here, getting our timing down and trying to get better every game.”

The Cardinals (5-2) play in Luverne Friday at 5:30 p.m. on Redbird Field.