Fairfield defeats Greeneview in softball home opener

On a cold and rainy Tuesday (March 25) the Fairfield Lady Lions took their home field in Leesburg for their home opener, rebounding in a big way after their season opening loss at Wilmington High School.  

The Tuesday non-conference game featured the Lady Lions from the Southern Hills Athletic Conference and the Greeneview Lady Rams from the Ohio Heritage League Southern Division. The Lady Lions defeated Greeneview 10-3 by collecting 12 hits, including five for extra bases. 

Fairfield pitcher Rilee Quickle allowed nine hits on the afternoon, but pitched well by stranding 11 runners, and limiting the Rams to three runs and only one earned run to record her first win of the season. 

Greeneview scored a run in the top of the first inning on three hits, but Fairfield took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of first inning, starting their scoring with one out as Ally Maynard singled and stole second base. Carly Sanders drove in Maynard with her first of three consecutive doubles. Kelsie Crower followed with a single to right field, driving in Sanders.

Fairfield scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning, taking a 5-1 lead. Jobey Hattan singled to right field to lead off the inning and stole second base. Sanders doubled driving in Hattan, and Kelsie Crowder walked, then was followed by Alyssa Bales hitting a double, scoring Sanders and Crowder. 

The Lady Lions allowed two unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 5-3, but that is all the runs Quickle gave up as she shutout Greeneview over the final three innings, scattering three hits and stranding five runners.

FHS took a 6-3 lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a double off the bat of Quickle. 

Then Fairfield took a commanding lead in a light rain in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs. Hattan and Sanders drew back to back walks, Bales had an RBI single to score Hattan. Then Jorgia Smith tripled down the right field line to allow Sanders and Bales to round the bases for two more Fairfield runs. Whitlee Morrow completed the scoring with an RBI single, scoring Smith. 

Leading hitters for the Lady Lions included: Quickle (2-for-5, double, one RBI), Maynard (1-for-4, one run), Hattan (1-for-3, two runs), Sanders (3-for-3, three doubles, three runs, two RBI), Crowder (1-for-3, one run, one RBI), Bales (2-for-2, double, one run, three RBI), Smith (1-for-3, triple, one run, two RBI), May (one run), and Morrow (1-for-4, one RBI).             

Quickle (1-1) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield, pitching all sevenn innings, allowing nine hits, three runs, one earned run, one walk, and she collected seven strikeouts.  
 
The Lady Lions play the Portsmouth Clay Lady Panthers and the Waverly Lady Tigers in a tri-match on Saturday, March 29 at the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Complex, starting at 11 a.m.