Complete game by Lady Lions leads to sectional championship

LEESBURG — One day following clinching their perfect conference season, the Fairfield Lady Lions moved on to winning in the postseason, defeating the visiting Western Latham Lady Indians in five innings by a 15-0 score.

Head coach Mark Dettwiller said he told his team that it was “the most complete game they’ve played all season,” and he was correct.

“That was probably one of the most complete games I’ve ever been a part of,” Dettwiller said. “Kaiti was dominating from the circle, we had no errors, played solid defense and had 17 hits. Those weren’t soft hits, our girls smashed the ball.

“We now have to go back to work and get ready for Thursday.”

The Lady Lions hit two home runs off the bats of Kourtnie Smith and Lauren Arnold, ran the bases well, played errorless defense and had pitcher Kaiti White strike out 11 batters and allow just a single hit that didn’t leave the infield en route to Fairfield’s 16th straight sectional title and 31st overall.

In all, it was about as a complete game as a team can play, and it all began with the pitching of White as she put her stamp on the game from the very start with three strikeouts against the opposition, taking just 12 pitches in the first inning. Within those pitches, White had an 0-2 count on all three batters before they each struck out swinging.

That was just the start for White, as the sophomore ace struck out at least two batters in four of the five innings played, including the fifth inning where she struck out four batters, as one strikeout batter reached first base as the ball got away on a wild pitch following the swing. White finished with 62 pitches, 48 thrown for strikes against 17 batters.

Western’s lone hit was in the top of the second inning, as it was a close call at first base with the ball staying in the infield. Fairfield, on the other hand, collected 17 hits when they stepped up to the plate, resulting in a four-run first inning, followed by three runs in the third and eight runs in the fourth inning.

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Fairfield was led at the plate by White, Smith and Lyndee Spargur, who each had three hits. White and Spargur were each 3-for-3, with White having three RBIs and one walk. Spargur finished with two runs and one RBI. Smith was 3-for-4 with two runs and six RBIs.

The first of two home runs hit by Fairfield came in the first inning as Smith, a three-run homer with one out as Smith sent the ball over the centerfield fence, knocking in Sherry Heckathorn and Molly Thackston, who was pinch running for White. White reached the bases off an infield base hit.

Still in the first inning, Fairfield made it a 4-0 lead with Shania Setty batting in Arnold (who had a two-out single to centerfield) off a base hit to left field.

During the third inning, the Lady Lions gained their first base runner with a walk forced by Emily Williams. The ensuing at-bat, she was rounding the bases, as Arnold sent the ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run, her second home run in as many days. The home run by Arnold pushed the FHS lead to 6-0.

FHS made it a seven-run lead as the third inning continued when Heckathorn had an infield base hit to score Spargur.

The fourth inning put the Lady Lions ahead by 15 runs with the No. 7 state-ranked team scoring eight runs in what was their last inning at the plate.

In the bottom of the fourth, Fairfield totaled not just eight runs, but eight hits. Scoring runs were Carli Reiber, Thackston (pinch running for White), Smith (two runs), Williams, Spargur, Setty and Megan Gragg.

Having hits in the fifth inning for the Lady Lions were Reiber (single), White (two singles), Smith (double), Williams (double), Spargur (single) and Setty (double). Gragg reached the bases on an infield error.

Gaining two hits each for FHS were Heckathorn (one run, two RBIs) and Arnold (two runs, two RBIs). With one hit apiece were Reiber and Williams (one RBI).

Next for Fairfield is a Division IV SE District Semifinal game on Thursday, May 18 at Minford High School. FHS, the No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 Southern at 6 p.m. The winner of the district semifinal games will play for the district championship on Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m. also at Minford High School.