Lady Lions split twin bill against Adena

LEESBURG — The first game of the 2016 season saw the Fairfield Lady Lions own the non-conference game against Adena, winning via run-rule after six innings. In the second game of the twin bill, the Lady Lions didn’t have the same success, falling by a 3-2 score.

For Fairfield (1-1), the non-conference games were a good way for them to get back into the groove of the regular-season schedule on Saturday afternoon, as they opened the year with a lot of power in their bats in game one, finishing their season-opening game with 15 hits, 10 runs and two walks.

Maybe the best part about their first game was the fact the Lady Lions struck out just once in 33 at-bats, and they left just four runners on the bases.

Fairfield didn’t score their first run of the season until the third inning, where they took a 1-0 advantage. In that inning, Grace Larrick (who took first on a fielder’s choice) scored on a single by Kourtnie Smith with two outs. Smith finished 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs to lead FHS.

From there, they really let the baseball fly, hitting two home runs in the fourth inning, totaling five runs in their half of the fourth in a game played at FHS for a 6-0 advantage.

The first home run of the inning came off the bat of freshman Lauren Arnold, who sent the ball over the centerfield fence on the first at-bat of her varsity career to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, Smith doubled to score both Larrick and Carli Reiber.

In the ensuing at-bat, sophomore Emily Williams homered, adding two more runs to the Lady Lions’ side of the scoreboard, scoring Smith, who was on second base. Williams ended the game with two hits and two RBIs.

The Lady Lions added four more runs in the bottom half of the sixth to seal the run-rule victory. In that inning, Smith scored on a double by Kaitlin White, Williams scored on a walk forced by Megan Sanderson and the game ended on a base hit by Lyndee Spargur (who had two hits in game one), knocking in two runs, those being scored by Sanderson and Arnold, as Arnold initially reached the bases after being hit by a pitch.

White pitched just as well as her teammates hit the softball in the season opener. White finished with a complete game, six inning two-hit shutout victory. In her varsity debut, the freshman faced 20 batters, as she tallied nine strikeouts and no walks.

In game two, FHS took the early 1-0 lead after the first inning, but AHS answered with two runs in the top of the second. FHS tied the game at 2-2 with one run in the third but didn’t score another run for the rest of the day.

The Lady Warriors of Adena rallied in the top of the seventh to gain the win, scoring what became the game-winning run. In game two, each team had six hits and one error.

FHS was led by White at 2-for-3 with one RBI. Arnold also had one hit and one RBI in the game two loss.

White pitched the first four innings of the nightcap of the twin bill, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks. She struck out seven batters, as she faced 17 in the second game. The loss was charged to Megan Gragg, who pitched one innings of relief. She allowed one hit and one earned run, striking out one. Shania Setty also pitched two innings of relief, allowing one hit.

The Lady Lions are scheduled to face the Peebles Lady Indians in a Southern Hills Athletic Conference game on Tuesday at FHS with a 5 p.m. start.