SOARING FOR A RUN — Fairmont Junior Legion Post 36 baseball team’s Merritt Pomerenke scores a run with St. James Post 33 catcher Max Westman awaiting a throw in a game on Wednesday at Veterans Field in St. James. (Photo by Greg Abel)

ST. JAMES — The Fairmont Junior Legion Post 36 baseball team rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning and added seven runs in the eighth to win 10-3 over St. James Post 33 on Wednesday at Veterans Field in St. James.

“I told our kids we still have three more outs to go and keep fighting,” Fairmont head coach Ben Hackett said. “We had good pitching tonight from Joe (Hackett) and Trevor (Maakestad) after we have up the three quick runs. We seem to fall behind early and battle back. We never gave up.”

Fairmont sent 12 batter to the plate in the eighth inning. Cole Wiemers had two hits in the inning and strarted off the rally with a sharp single.

Fairmont had a two-run double from Maakestad in the eighth inning. Nolan Anderson had a run-scoring double in the eighth, while Connor Sanvig and Wiemers had run-scoring singles. Kurt Tyler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Another run scored on a throwing error in the eighth inning.

Fairmont forced extra innings by scoring two runs in the top of the seventh.

Merritt Pomerenke led off with a single, advanced to third when Joe Hackett had an infield single and a throwing error allowed the runners to advance an extra base, Another error allowed Pomerenke to score and Joe Hackett scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

Fairmont finished with 12 hits, eight of which it had in the seventh and eighth innings combined.

Sanvig had a team-best three hits, while Joe Hackett and Wiemers each had two hits to power Fairmont’s offense. Micah Vaughn, Anderson, Maakestad, Kellen Fritz and Pomerenke each had one hit.

Fairmont scored a single run in the second inning. Sanvig had a run-scoring single, plating Tyler, who was a courtesy runner for cather Cameron Schmidtke.

St. James scored its three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The first four batters singled.

For St. James, Wyatt Haler, Reggie Blom and Talyn Tande each had two hits.

Maakestad earned the win, pitching three innings. He gave up no runs, two hits, two walks, hit one batter and struck out five. Joe Hackett pitched five innings, giving up three earned runs, eight hits, three walks and struck out three.

For St. James, Haler took the loss, pitching 1 2/3 innings. He gave up eight runs — five earned — five hits and struck out one. Tande finished the game on the mound for St. James, pitching 2/3 of an inning, giving up no runs, two hits, and struck out one. John Boelke started on the mound and pitched 6 innings. He gave up two earned runs, five hits, three walks, hit two batters and struck out six.

Next for Fairmont (5-2) is a 6 p.m. away game Friday against Blue Earth Area.

FMT 010 000 27–10 12 0

SJ 300 000 00– 3 10 5

John Boelke, Wyatt Haler (LP, 7), Talyn Tande (8) and Max Westman. Joe Hackett, Trevor Maakestad (WP, 7) and Cameron Schmidtke, Kellen Fritz (6).

LOB–Fairmont 10. St. James 13. 2B–John Boelke (SJ), Nolan Anderson (FMT), Trevor Maakestad (FMT). SAC–Merritt Pomerenke (FMT). SF–Kurt Tyler (FMT).