Fairfield Lady Lions finish as regional runners-up

PICKERINGTON — For the second consecutive season, the Fairfield Lady Lions finish as Division IV Regional Runners-Up seeing their successful season close on Saturday in a 7-1 loss to the Danville Blue Devils at Pickerington Central High School.

The loss by the Lady Lions ends what was a memorable season as they finish 20-2 overall with an undefeated 13-0 mark in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference, winning their 19th consecutive sectional championship, winning their third straight district championship and reaching the Elite 8 for the second straight season.

“These seniors and juniors coming here three straight times to Pickerington (to the regional round) is unheard of,” FHS head coach Mark Dettwiller said. “These kids have worked their tails off. We talk in practice about working hard for next year, and we start our summer league on Thursday and we go right back to work.”

As for Saturday, the Lady Lions saw their opponent score in four of the seven innings played, as the Blue Devils scored their first run of the game in the second inning, followed by a two-run third, one run in the second and finally three runs in the sixth inning. In all, Danville finished with 11 hits.

For Fairfield, they totaled just five hits in the loss, and defensively they committed four errors, resulting in the Blue Devils scoring four unearned runs.

Fairfield didn’t score their lone run until the top of the seventh inning where Lauren Arnold led off the inning with a double to right-centerfield on a 1-2 count. With one out, Megan Gragg singled to centerfield to score Arnold. The Lady Lions ended up loading the bases on two different occasions in the seventh inning but left the bases loaded to end the game.

“We had a little huddle before the seventh inning, and we decided didn’t have anything to lose and we were going to go up there and have some fun,” Dettwiller said. “Danville made some really good plays, and they are a very good ball team. I expect they will do well at state.”

The Lady Lions gained their first hit of the game in the top of the first inning where Carli Reiber (on a full count) hit a double to left field, but two strikeouts later, she was left on the bases.

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Fairfield didn’t have a base runner again until the top of the third where Sherry Heckathorn forced a two-out walk and didn’t have a hit until again until the top of the fourth where Emily Williams singled to right field on a 1-2 count as at the time FHS trailed Danville, 3-0.

In the fifth, Lyndee Spargur and Gragg were both base runners for FHS, as Spargur had a leadoff walk and Gragg reached on a fielder’s choice. In the sixth, the Lady Lions had one base runner in Kourtnie Smith who forced a two-out walk.

The seventh inning saw Arnold hit a double, Shania Setty force a walk, Gragg gain the lone RBI on a single, Heckathorn single to left field and Reiber reach on a fielder’s choice.

No FHS batter had more than one hit in the regional final game, while they also forced four walks. In all, the Lady Lions left eight runners stranded on the bases, while Danville left five.

In the circle, Kaiti White was charged with the loss. White (20-2) pitched six innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on 11 hits and one walk. She finished with three strikeouts as she faced a total of 30 batters.

Shanna Mickley (22-2) of Danville was the winning pitcher. In seven innings, she allowed one run on five hits and four walks, while striking out six batters.

Seniors for the Lady Lions are Kourtnie Smith, Sherry Heckathorn and Shania Setty.

“We are losing three seniors, one being our catcher Kourtnie Smith, who is a four-year starter and she’ll be tough to replace. We have Sherry at centerfield, and she’s been battling some knee issues and played well for us, and Shania Setty, our left fielder, who has really picked it up her senior year and she’s played lights out.

“I’m really going to miss those three kids.”

Coach Dettwiller also spoke about three players who played parts of the season with various injuries in Smith, Heckathorn and White, all of whom had various leg injuries but didn’t miss a game and continued to play throughout the season.

“These kids are tough and just kept playing and wanted to play,” Dettwiller said. “A week before conditioning, Sherry tore her meniscus but has played all season. She’s tougher than a two-dollar steak and is a ball player. She’s a fantastic leader on and off the field.

“Kaiti hurt her foot a couple weeks ago and has bone spurs, and she’s played through that. Kourtnie has had some knee issues and has been playing through that as well as our catcher. I have three kids who have given their heart and soul every day, and it has been a pleasure working with them.”