Smith, Chirpich outduel Windom
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FAIRMONT - Pitching was a premium for the Fairmont Martins on Wednesday night.
Josh Smith and Spencer Chirpich combined for a complete game shutout of the Windom Pirates, allowing eight hits and striking out five. The Martins picked up a handful of runs in the first and sixth innings to back up their arms, ultimately beating Windom 3-0 at Herb Wolf Field. Fairmont is now 11-4 in the summer and winners of its past four contests. It was Windom's second loss of the season.
"The win was huge for us in terms of seeding," Martins manager Levi Becker said. "We moved up to at least the three seed, which means we would host two of the three games for the first round of the playoffs. There's a chance we could move one more spot if we get some help."
Two runs in the opening frame got Fairmont on the board to set the tone. Eli Anderson and Chirpich shot a pair of grounders through the infield to put runners on the corners. Anderson came home on a passed ball moments later, while Lance Becker brought in the final score on an RBI bloop single to shallow centerfield.
Even if those were the only scores the Martins could muster, the result would have been the same. Fairmont put its trust in Smith to deliver a strong start against a powerful Pirates offense, and he didn't disappoint.
Smith's final trot off the mound following his strikeout of Keenan Wenzel capped off an outstanding performance. Five innings of no-run baseball while allowing five hits and fanning three. The righty also used the help of his defense to escape some situations, including a precise double play from Chirpich and Lance Becker up the middle that neutralized any hopes of a Windom rally in the third.
Chirpich's clean sixth inning was directly followed by one more insurance run from Fairmont in the home half. Merritt Pomerenke drew a walk in four pitches to reach base with two outs. Nolyn Goerndt continued the momentum with his lone hit of the night, a line drive single that once more put runners on first and third. The Martins took advantage of another wild pitch with Pomerenke dashing home for their third and final run.
Fairmont's offense ended with seven hits and three walks. Anderson led all Martins players with three base knocks in the leadoff position. Despite getting outhit by Windom, they did enough when it mattered most.
The final three frames were more of the same in the pitching department. Chirpich allowed two hits the rest of the way while piling up two strikeouts. Levi Becker ended things after doubling off Alex Borsgard at second base for the final out.
"Smith and Spencer proved tonight that they are two of the top pitchers in this league," Levi Becker said. "Windom hasn't been shut out all year, and its lineup is loaded with college and former college players. Those two guys were solid mixing pitches. We've been known for playing our best ball around playoff time, and we treated the Windom game as if it were the playoffs."
The Martins will play a final exhibition game against the New Ulm Brewers this Friday to wrap up the regular season. First pitch at Johnson Park is set for 7:30 p.m.