Photo by Jake Olson: Fairmont Post 36 Junior Legion's Caden Wickert loads up to swing moments before his three RBI double in the second inning of Thursday night's contest against Martin County West Junior Legion at Winnebago Diamonds Sports Complex.

FAIRMONT – Louis Grensteiner and Caden Wickert gave Fairmont Post 36 Junior Legion some breathing room.

The pair of Cardinals combined for four RBIs in a staggering six-run second frame. Post 36 used this initial spark, along with sound pitching and defense, to take down Martin County West Junior Legion 7-3 on Thursday night at Winnebago Diamonds Sports Complex. It’s the fifth game the Cardinals have won in their past six contests.

Post 36 head coach Josh Peterson can thank the likes of Brock Rodning for keeping the score at zero entering the bottom of the second. The lefty struck out four of the eight batters he faced, holding MCW to zero hits through the initial part of their lineup.

This gave the Cardinals all they needed to strike fast in the home half.

A walk to Archer Pomerenke, followed by a Troy Peterson single, put two runners on base immediately. Grensteiner’s initial one-bagger stretched to two after an error in center field, giving Pomerenke plenty of time to trot home and score.

Bryden Williamson and Preston Geerdes took advantage of the bases loaded moments later to tack on two more runs. Williamson’s hard chopper to second did enough to force only a fielder’s choice throw to first. Geerdes took a second consecutive walk to bring in another.

It was Wickert who delivered the final blow. Again, taking advantage of the loaded basepath, the catcher struck a double to right field that cleared all the runners for good. The immediate crooked number in the early innings was a key reason for Post 36’s victory.

“Caden has been awesome all year,” Josh Peterson said. “I think he’s been batting over .500 and just hitting the ball really, really well. You get to a point where you start to expect him to do something. And he did.”

“It also just gets some breathing room. Once you get a little breathing room, the pitchers can pitch with a little more ease, and it isn’t quite as tight.”

The Cardinals needed everything from their pitching staff after this frame. Post 36 tacked on its final score of the night after Williamson again used a fielder’s choice grounder to convert on Lucas Bushian’s lead-off double in the fourth.

But that’s all the offense mustered the rest of the way. Just one hit and six strikeouts in the final four innings. It was up to the Cardinals’ arms and sturdy defense to will them to the finish line.

And they did just that. Outside of a pair of blips in the third and fifth frames, the combination of Rodning, Troy Peterson and Williamson pounded the strike zone with aggression. Geerdes’ nifty bases-loaded double play at third base silenced an MCW rally, getting Rodning out of a third-inning jam to keep the Mavericks at one run.

Troy Peterson held three runners on once more with his escape in the fifth inning. Picking up the fifth strikeout of his outing, MCW missed a big chance to add to their three runs.

Williamson hurled the final two innings with pure efficiency, walking just one batter and fanning five. All three arms combined for 15 strikeouts and just four hits. While the seven total walks caused issues at times, the overall quality of the staff’s work significantly aided the winning effort.

“We left a little meat on the bone, but got the W,” Josh Peterson said. “It’s good to get a win, get out in the heat and play some ball.”