Richmond and Fairmont battled it out tonight for a spot in the state semifinals. Richmond came in riding a season-high 10-game win streak. Fairmont on the other hand struggled a little bit down the stretch, losing three of its last five games.
Early on it was the pitchers who were dominating. New Munich draftee Ty Reller got the start for the Royals and sat down the first nine batters of the game. It was easy sailing for Reller until the fourth when the lineup turned around for a second time. Reller only got one out in the inning while giving up six runs. Farming Flames draftee Cam Miller took over from there on out and was solid for the Royals in relief.
Luke Becker got things started for the Martins with a leadoff single in the top of the fourth for the team’s first base runner. That seemed to be the spark they needed as the Martins struck for six runs and sent 10 to the plate in the inning. Becker came around to score on an error to take a 1-0 lead and Jon Traetow added a two-run single shortly after to make it 3-0.
The party kept on going as Lance Becker and Spencer Chirpich both added singles, who both eventually came around to score on Luke Becker’s second hit of the inning, which was a two-run double. It was all Fairmont from there on out as it also added a run in the seventh, eighth and ninth leading to a 9-1 win.
Chirpich got the ball for the Martins and was dominant all night long. Chirpich kept Royals hitters off balance all night, throwing a complete game allowing only one earned run and adding 10 strikeouts.
His biggest moment came in the bottom of the sixth, collecting back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded to keep the lead at 6-1. It was smooth sailing after that as he dominated the final three innings en route to a 9-1 win. Chirpich also helped himself out at the plate adding an RBI single in the win.
Fairmont will to repeat what it did six years ago when it climbed to the top of the mountain to claim the Class C state championship over the St. Patrick Irish.
The Martins have been dominant all tournament and will look to ride this high into tomorrow as they will take on the Starbuck Stars at 4 p.m. in New Prague tomorrow for a spot in the state title game.
