‘Fairmont can hit the ball’
Late home runs from Anderson and Crissinger pull Martins to victory
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SHAKOPEE - The power-hitting, loud bats that manager Levi Becker is used to seeing from his Fairmont Martins haven't been present over the last few games of the Region 10C playoffs. Fairmont averaged just over four runs per contest against the Jackson Bulls and Windom Pirates.
This trend bled into the Martins' first-round matchup against the Quamba Cubs in Saturday afternoon's 2026 MBA Class C State Tournament. Despite a three-run lead after six innings, Fairmont had just one extra-base hit, an RBI double off Joey Crissinger's bat that flew down the third-base line.
That all changed in the seventh and ninth innings. Eli Anderson and Crissinger hit towering, two-run home runs over the right- and left-field fences to sign, seal, and deliver Fairmont's 7-0 victory over Quamba at Joe Schleper Stadium in Shakopee.
The late blitz of offense advances the Martins to a second-round contest against the Cold Spring Rockies. It also sends a message to the rest of the competition, showing how dangerous Fairmont can be when clicking on all the right cylinders.
"I think this kind of puts it out to other teams that Fairmont can hit the ball," Levi Becker said. "Those [home runs] were huge, and we just sort of kept chipping away. The top of the order was big after having most of our hits and RBIs. We kept grinding and finally got the opportunity to get some long balls."
Fairmont's big key to piling up runs came from its top four hitters - Luke Becker, Anderson, Crissinger, Derek Shoen. Anderson led all Martins with three hits while Luke Becker and Crissinger each had two. Shoen, while not recording a hit, drove in two runs and drew two walks. All seven scores came from these four bats.
Things started early in the first with Luke Becker and Anderson stringing two quick singles. Crissinger reached on an error up the middle to load the bases. Shoen took advantage of the runner on third, sending a deep sacrifice fly to score the game’s first run.
The Martins tacked on two more in the top of the fifth. Joseph Hackett led the frame by reaching base on his hot shot to second base. It was quickly runners on the corners after Luke Becker's second single fell perfectly into shallow right field.
After Crissinger's line drive double two batters later, Shoen picked up another RBI on a sacrifice fly, this time to right field, to send in Fairmont's third run. Take away the Martins’ two late-game home runs, and the offense still did a good job of reaching base and moving runners over.
"It was a bunch of good at-bats from everybody else, and we kept working," Levi Becker said. "We say to get on base for the top of the lineup and see what those guys can do."
However, it didn't matter how little or large Fairmont's lead was. Spencer Chirpich's complete-game effort made sure the Martins won regardless of how many times they scored. He finished the ninth frame with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. A masterclass of accuracy and precision in the zone.
Even more impressive was his ability to escape multiple scoring chances the Cubs presented. Quamba threatened to strike multiple times. Their 11 hits and consistency in placing on leadoff runners proved that point. But Chirpich, like clockwork, would figure out a way to remain unscathed. He countered every punch with timely pitches and a reliance on the defense behind him.
Fairmont stranded 11 Quamba runners in total. Whether it was Chirpich leaving the bases loaded after back-to-back third-inning strikeouts, or Levi Becker's diving catch in the sixth, the Martins, in more than one way, figured out how to fight adversity every time it knocked.
"That was prime-time Spencer today. You could tell he was amped up the way he prepares before games," Levi Becker said. "We have a chance to win every time he's on the mound. ...The defense can play confidently behind him because they know Spencer didn't walk anybody. Overall, a very clean pitching and defensive game."
The round two matchup between Cold Spring and Fairmont will take place this Saturday at New Prague Memorial Park Baseball Stadium. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. The winner will take on either the Richmond Royals or the Cologne Hollanders in the quarterfinals. Cold Spring took down the Aitkin Steam 2-1 in their opening contest.