MARSHALL -- Fairmont scored 10 runs in the fourth inning and went on to rout Morris/Chokio-Alberta 18-2 in the winner's bracket final of the Section 3AA baseball tournament on Saturday.
Morris/CA (21-3) had allowed only one run in its two previous playoff games. But Fairmont (20-1) amassed 16 hits to go along with four Morris/CA errors and five free passes.
Morris/CA will now play New Ulm (15-6) in the loser's bracket final at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Marshall. The winner will meet Fairmont in the championship Thursday at 5 p.m. A second game would be played Friday, if necessary.
After Fairmont scored three times in the top of the first inning, the Tigers came back with two runs in the home half of the first. Tyler Hansen hit a leadoff single. Alex Erickson followed with another single and Eric Riley reached on an infield single to load the bases. Cole Riley then drove in Hansen and Erickson with a double over the left fielder's head.
Riley then blanked the Cardinals in the second and third innings before getting knocked out in the fourth.
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Fairmont had seven hits to go along with two walks and two hit batsmen to record its double-digit inning.
Morris/CA reliever Matt Lembcke gave up five unearned run in the top of the fifth inning. After two outs, the Tigers made a pair of infield errors.
Logan Peymann got the win, hurling all five innings and allowing six hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Jon Ellis and Mac Waletich had three hits and drove in three runs each for the Cardinals. Peymann had two hits and knocked in two runs.
Hansen and Erickson had two hits apiece for the Tigers.
Fairmont 18, Morris/CA 2
Fairmont 300 (10)5 -- 18 16 0
Morris/CA 200 0 0 -- 2 6 4
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HITTING - Fairmont: Jon Ellis 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2b, 3 rbi; Logan Peymann 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 rbi; Mac Waletich 3-for-4, 3 runs, 2b, 3 rbi; Joey Duflo 1-for-2; Levi Becker 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 rbi; Ryan Noll 1-for-3, 2 runs; Ben Kain 1-for-3, 3 runs, rbi; Ross Wilkin 2-for-4, 2 runs, rbi ... Morris/Chokio-Alberta: Tyler Hansen 2-for-3; Alex Erickson 2-for-3, 2b; Eric Riley 1-for-2; Cole Riley 1-for-2, 2b, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Fairmont: Logan Peymann (W) 5-6-2-2-1-3 ... Morris/Chokio-Alberta: Eric Riley (L) 32/3-11-13-10-5-2, Matt Lembcke 11/3-5-5-0-0-2
New Ulm 5, LQPV 1
Kaleb Juntunen was one out away from pitching a no-hitter for New Ulm (16-6), but Jordan Redepenning laced a double for Lac qui Parle Valley (16-7) with two outs in the top half of the seventh inning. Taylor Larson scored on the hit after coming in to pinch-run for Preston Kraft, who got hit by a pitch.
Matt Bergman was a single shy of hitting for the cycle and drove in three runs to ignite New Ulm. Jason Shaul also notched three hits to help eliminate LQPV from the playoffs.
LQPV 000 000 1 -- 1 1 1
New Ulm 030 200 x -- 5 10 2
HITTING - Lac qui Parle Valley: Jacob Redepenning 1-for-3, 2b, rbi ... New Ulm: Jason Shaul 3-for-3; Matt Bergman 3-for-3, 2b, 3b, 3 rbi; Cole Cihak 2-for-3, 2b, 2 rbi
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PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Lac qui Parle Valley: Brandon Bornhorst (L) 6-10-5-5-0-3 ... New Ulm: Kaleb Juntunen (W) 7-1-1-1-1-6
