Fairmont 201 000 004 = 7-13-0
Windom 000 112 002 = 6-10-0
The Windom Pirates were unable to hold onto a late lead, then saw a final rally fall just short as the Pirates opened the Region 13C playoffs with a 7-6 loss to Fairmont at Island Park Wednesday.
The Pirates rallied in the middle innings to take a 4-3 lead after trailing 3-0 early in the game.
In the fourth, Braydon Kreofsky’s RBI single got the Pirates on the board. Nick Christiansen added an RBI single in the fifth. Then, in the sixth, Kyle Espenson ripped a two-run double, giving Windom a 4-3 lead.
Windom held the lead into the ninth inning. After a brief rain delay, Fairmont rallied in the top of the ninth, scoring four times to take a 7-4 lead. The key hit was a two-run go-ahead triple.
Windom tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Christiansen hit an RBI double and scored on an Alex Fink groundout. But a strikeout ended the game.
Christiansen and Luke Gilbertson each had two hits in the loss for the Pirates.
Gilbertson took the pitching loss, working two innings of relief.
Fairmont leads the best-of-three series 1-0. Game two of the series will be played Friday in Fairmont, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
