Lady Lions fall short against defending state champion Williamsburg
The Fairfield Lady Lions took time out from their Southern Hills Athletic Conference schedule Wednesday and traveled to Williamsburg to face the defending state champion Williamsburg Lady Wildcats, where FHS lost by a 4-0 score.
The non-conference game featured two first-team All-Ohio pitchers in Carly Wagers of Williamsburg and Kaiti White of Fairfield. Wagers also set state records offensively in 2017 in home runs (23) and RBI (86) for a single season.
Wagers retired the Lady Lions in order in the top of the first inning. After an infield single by Williamsburg’s lead-off hitter Peyton Fisher, White retired the next three batters in order in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the second inning, Lauren Arnold drew a one-out base on balls, but Wagers retired the next two batters. White answered with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.
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Fairfield (10-6, 6-3 SHAC) threatened to score in the top of the third inning. A walk and a Williamsburg error on a sacrifice bunt put Lady Lion runners on second base and third base with one out, but a base-running mistake on potential sacrifice fly prevented the Lady Lions from taking an early lead. White again put down the Lady Wildcat hitters in order in the bottom of the third inning.
Williamsburg took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but a brilliant defensive play by Molly Thackston to catch a runner off third base prevented a big inning and any further runs from crossing the plate.
The Lady Lions defense made some outstanding diving catches during the game. Besides Thackston's play at third, shortstop Layla Hattan made a diving catch in the hole and second baseman Carli Reiber made a diving catch, but the defensive gem of the day was an amazing diving catch off a screaming line drive by first baseman Lyndee Spargur, who also doubled the runner at first.
FHS threatened to tie the score in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, White turned on a Wagers fast ball and drove it off the left-centerfield fence for a double. Hattan laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Hayleigh Lowe running for White to third base, but Wagers got out the jam on a ground out to second.
Williamsburg did do what good teams do and added to their lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on three hits.
White (9-5) suffered the loss for Fairfield as she pitched six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks, with two strikeouts.
Wagers was the winning pitcher for Williamsburg as she pitched seven innings, allowing one hit, no runs and three walks and she finished with 10 strikeouts.
The Lady Lions will host the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats on Thursday, April 26 on Senior Day. Fairfield will honor senior baseball, softball and track athletes in a pregame ceremony that will start at 4:45 p.m.