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Fairfield Lady Lions drop two at Rubyville

Lead Summary
By
The Highland County Press-
RUBYVILLE — The Fairfield Lady Lions traveled to Rubyville on Saturday, falling to SE District opponents, the Portsmouth Clay Lady Panthers and to the Gallia Academy Lady Blue Angels.
 
In game one, the Lady Lions (5-4, 4-0 SHL) fell to Portsmouth Clay by a 4-0 score. In game two, FHS fell to Gallia Academy, 12-7.
 
Portsmouth are the leaders of the Southern Ohio Conference with an undefeated record  10-0, 5-0 SOC), and the Division II Gallia Academy Lady Blue Angels (7-3, 4-0 SEOAL) are the defending champions of the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League.
 
Against Portsmouth Clay, the Lady Panthers put runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, but Lauren Larrick and the Lady Lion defense stranded the runners. Portsmouth Clay scored a run in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead.
 
Portsmouth Clay's Jessica Moore drew a lead-off walk, then Moore and leadoff hitter Marissa Messer executed a bunt and steal. Fairfield then misplayed the coverage at third base, and Moore came home to score on the error.
 
The Lady Lions bounced right back in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Shelby Smithson, Whitney Hanenkrat and Larrick led off the inning with three consecutive singles, but two base-running miscues prevented the Lady Lions from scoring.
 
Portsmouth Clay added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on four hits. The Lady Lions failed to put a runner on base in the final three innings.
 
Leading hitters for the Lady Lions were: Larrick (1-for-3), Smithson (1-for-3), Hanenkrat (1-for-3), Sirenity Smith (1-for-3) and Halie Chain (1-for-3).        
 
Larrick (5-3) suffered the loss for the Fairfield Lady Lions. Larrick pitched six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk. Larrick struck out two batters.
 
Autumn Griffith (4-0) picked up the win for Portsmouth Clay, as she pitched seven innings, allowing no runs on five hits and no walks. Griffith finished with eight strikeouts.
 
Against Gallia Academy, Larrick was brilliant on the mound according to assistant coach Tom Purtell, as she blanked the Lady Blue Angels through the first three innings, striking out six hitters.
 
Meanwhile, the Lady Lions scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a single by Courtney Huff, a sacrifice bunt by Kortney Paris, an RBI single by Smithson, a double by Hanenkrat and an RBI single off the bat of Smith.
 
FHS added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning.
 
Kaitlin Evans doubled off the fence in left field, and Huff followed with a blast over the fence in centerfield for a two-run home run, giving the Lady Lions a 5-0 lead.
 
Gallia Academy scored a run in the top of the fourth inning on a double by Morris and a single by Westfall.
 
FHS answered with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a walk by Huff, a fielder's choice by Paris, a ground ball by Smithson and a single by Hanenkrat.
 

[[In-content Ad]]The score remained 6-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, as Larrick gave way to the Lady Lions’ bullpen.
 
But the young Lady Lion bullpen struggled to throw strikes, and coupled with a very untimely error, the Lady Blue Angels rallied for a 7-6 lead.
 
FHS tied the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Smithson hit a monster home run over the left field fence, but again, the Lady Lion bullpen failed to keep hitters off the base paths.
 
The Lady Blue Angels scored five more runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 12-7 lead. This time, the Lady Lions had no answer in their half of the seventh inning.
 
Leading hitters for the Lady Lions included: Hanenkrat (3-for-4, two doubles), Larrick (2-for-4), Smithson (2-for-4, home run, two runs, two RBIs), Huff (2-for-3, home run, two runs, two RBIs), Evans (2-for-4, double, one run), Smith (1-for-4) and Chain (1-for-3).       
 
Arica Melson (0-1) suffered the loss for the Lady Lions. She pitched one inning, allowing eight runs (three earned) on two hits and five walks.
 
Larrick pitched five innings, allowing one run (one earned) on two hits and one walk. She finished with 12 strikeouts.
 
FHS will play again on Monday as they travel to face Eastern Brown. On Tuesday, they will host Fayetteville.
 
 
BOX SCORE
vs. Portsmouth Clay
FHS 000 000 0 — 0 5 2
PC 001 030 x — 4 6 0
 
 
vs. Gallia Academy
GA 000 106 5 — 12 6 2
FHS    320 101 0 — 7 13 3

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