Fairfield gains wins against Fayetteville, North Adams and Lynchburg-Clay

On Monday afternoon (April 7), after four days of rain, the Fairfield Lady Lions hosted the Fayetteville Lady Rockets in a Southern Hills Athletic Conference game at the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Complex in Leesburg with the Lady Lions posting an impressive 12-2 victory over the Lady Rockets.

The Lady Lions fell behind 2-0 in the top of first inning on three hits by the Lady Rockets. Fairfield’s offense erupted for 12 runs over five innings while pounding out 12 hits.  

Rilee Quickle, Ally Maynard, Kelsie Crowder, Jobey Hattan and Alyssa Bales led the Lady Lions’ high-powered offense as Quickle was 4-for-4 with four runs scored. Maynard was 3-for-5 with a home run, a run scored and five RBI. Crowder hit a mammoth home run to left field, Hattan had a triple, and Bales also tripled.

After the first inning, Quickle was dominant in the circle. Quickle and the Lady Lions’ defense scattered three hits and no runs over the final four innings as Quickle picked her fifth consecutive win.

Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Quickle (4-for-4, four runs, one RBI), Maynard (3-for-4, home run, one run, five RBI), Hattan (1-for-2, triple, HBP, two runs, one RBI), Carly Sanders (1-for-3, two runs, one RBI), Crowder (1-for-3, home run, one run, two RBI), Bales (1-for-3, triple, one RBI), Jorja May (1-for-3, one run) and Whitlee Morrow (1-for-2, walk, one run).     

Quickle (5-1) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield, going five innings, while allowing two earned runs on six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. 

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For the second consecutive day (Tuesday, April 8), the Fairfield Lady Lions faced a Southern Hills Athletic Conference opponent, the North Adams Lady Devils at the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Complex. It was a sunny and cold day, but the Lady Lions remained red hot as they pounded out 15 hits (including four home runs) as they defeated North Adams 16-6 in five innings.

Rilee Quickle gave up a two-out double to Paige Evans, but stranded her at second in the top of the first inning. Fairfield took the early 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. 

With one out, Ally Maynard walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Carly Sanders hit a two-out single to left-centerfield to knock in Maynard, as Sanders took second on the throw to the infield. Then for the second consecutive day, Kelsie Crowder blasted home run over the left field fence to take a 3-0 lead.

North Adams scored two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning and narrowed the score to 3-2.  

Fairfield responded in a big way in the bottom of the second inning scoring six runs after there were two outs and no one on base.  

Quickle singled up the middle and stole second base, Maynard had an infield single as Quickle took third base. Jobey Hattan doubled to left field to score Quickle and Maynard. Sanders stepped to the plate and blasted a home run over the score board that landed in the bus parking lot and hit a school bus. 

The Lady Lion fans had just returned to their seats when Crowder singled and Alyssa Bales blasted another home run over the centerfield fence giving the Lady Lions a 9-2 lead.

North Adams scored a run in the top of the third inning on a single by Carlee Garrison and a double by Karis Tumbleson to make the score 9-3.   

Again the Lady Lions answered with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Whitlee Morrow was safe on a bunt single, and Quickle followed with a towering home run over the centerfield fence, making the score 11-3.

The Lady Devils capitalized on a Lady Lion error, combined with three hits, to score three runs in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 11-6, but yet again, the Lady Lions answered back with a run in the fourth inning.

Quickle shutout the Lady Devils in the top the fifth inning. Fairfield ended the game early with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  

Hattan singled to lead off the inning, Sanders followed with a single to centerfield, Crowder lined out to the third basemen, and Bales was hit by a pitch. Jorgia Smith grounded out to the shortstop as Hattan scored. Avery Morrow was safe on an error. Chloe Spangler entered the game as a pinch hitter and had an infield single. Quickle ended the game by knocking in the final run. 

Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Quickle (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI, home run), Maynard (1-for-3, two runs, one RBI), Hattan (2-for-3, double, two runs, one RBI), Sanders (3-for-4, three runs, three RBI, home run), Crowder (3-for-4, home run, two runs, two RBI), Bales (1-for-2, home run, two RBI), Smith (one RBI), Whitlee Morrow (1-for-3, one run), Avery Morrow (1-for-2, one run) and Spangler (1-for-1).                

Quickle (6-1) was the winning pitcher for the Lady Lions, throwing five innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and no walks, with four strikeouts. 

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For the third consecutive day, the Fairfield Lady Lions faced a Southern Hills Athletic Conference opponent, and on Wednesday (April 9) the SHAC game matched the top two teams in the conference. Both Lynchburg-Clay and Fairfield entered the game with 3-0 SHAC records, as the game played at the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Complex saw FHS defeat visiting Lynchburg-Clay, 6-2. 

Fairfield's junior pitching ace Rilee Quickle led her team offensively and was brilliant on the mound in a cold, cloudy day in a light rain through much of the game.  

Quickle was perfect through the first four innings retiring the first 12 batters she faced, as she limited the high-powered Lynchburg-Clay offense to two runs on three hits.  

On the offensive side, Quickle singled to lead off the bottom the first inning to lead to two runs. Quickle also led off the bottom of the third inning with a single and stole second base leading to four more runs. Quickle also took to the circle in the top of the seventh inning with a 6-2 lead as the rain picked up and the field conditions were wet. She walked the first two Lynchburg-Clay batters, but quickly recovered to retire the next three batters on fly balls to extend her winning streak to seven games.

With the victory, the Fairfield Lady Lions (7-1, 4-0 SHAC) extended their winning streak to seven games as Lynchburg-Clay (8-2, 3-1 SHAC) suffered their first conference loss.

After a scoreless top of the first inning, Fairfield took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Leadoff hitter Quickle took Lynchburg-Clay pitching ace Noel Barnhill deep in the count and then ripped a single to centerfield. Quickle then stole second base, and one our later, Jobey Hattan singled to centerfield to drive in Quickle. Hattan then stole second base, took third base on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Carly Sanders.

Barnhill gave way to Aubrey Roberts to pitch the third inning. Fairfield added four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Again, Quickle led off the inning with a single up the middle and promptly stole second base again.  

Ally Maynard drew a walk, and Hattan doubled to left-centerfield to drive home Quickle as Maynard advanced to third base. At that point in the game, the rain had picked up and the umpires sent the teams to the dugout. After a nine-minute delay, the game resumed with Sanders at the plate, Maynard at third base and Hattan at second base.  

Then came a wild sequence of events, as a wild pitch went to Sanders, scoring Maynard. Hattan anticipating the wild pitch got a tremendous jump and scored from second base on the same wild pitch. On the next pitch, Sanders hit a towering home run that bounced off the left field foul pole to make the score 6-2.

Barnhill broke up Quickle’s perfect game with an infield hit. Aubrey Roberts drew a walk, moving Barnhill to second base. A wild pitch advanced Barnhill to third base and Roberts to second base. One out later, an infield hit scored Barnhill as Roberts advanced to third base. Audrey Barry hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Roberts, but Quickle retired the next batter to end the inning.

Barnhill returned to the circle for Lynchburg-Clay in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Fairfield put runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings, but could not bring them home.

The rain picked up and the field conditions would become wet as Quickle took the circle in the top of the seventh inning. Quickle issued consecutive walks on full counts to start the inning, but that is as far as the runners would advance and Quickle retired the next three batters on fly balls to end the game.

Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Quickle (2-for-4, two runs), Maynard (one run), Hattan (2-for-2, double, two runs, two RBI), Sanders (2-for-3, one run, two RBI, home run), Jorja May (SAC bunt) and Avery Morrow (walk).                  

Quickle (7-1) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield, tossing seven innings, allowing two earned runs on three and four walks, with two strikeouts. Barnhill (6-1) suffered the loss for Lynchburg-Clay, pitching five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, three walks, and she had eight strikeouts. Roberts pitched one inning, allowing three hits, four earned runs and one walk.