2026 Softball Preview: Fairfield Lady Lions

FAIRFIELD LADY LIONS
Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC)
Head Coach: Ellen Binegar (3rd season)
2025 Overall Record: 18-7 (12-1 SHAC, Div. II)
Last Conference Championship: 2025 (SHAC, Div. II)

The Fairfield Lady Lions are the reigning Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II champions, and they are looking to defend their title as they start the 2026 season. 

FHS ended their season as district runners-up as they fell to Portsmouth West, 9-8. Graduating from last season’s team is Division VI first-team All-Ohio selection Jobey Hattan, a four-year starter for FHS. 

Last season, FHS went 12-1 in the SHAC to earn the conference title and began this season with two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and one freshman. 

The seniors for the Lady Lions are Rilee Quickle (P/IF) and Kyla Thomas (C/1B).

Quickle — a Div. VI honorable mention All-Ohio selection — was the starting pitcher for the Lady Lions her junior season and in 25 games pitched (24 complete games), she went 146.1 innings in the circle, finishing with an 18-5 record with a 2.58 ERA and a 1.298 WHIP. During her junior season, Quickle had 160 strikeouts and had three shutouts. 

At the plate, Quickle had 88 at-bats, as she collected a .455 batting average, a .520 OBP and a .659 slugging percentage. She also had 40 hits (with 11 doubles, two triples, one home run), 36 runs and 19 RBI. She also had nine walks, one sacrifice fly, was hit by a pitch four times and totaled 18 steals. 

The six juniors are Ally Maynard (2B/P), Alyssa Bales (3B/C), Whitlee Morrow (LF/1B), Daphne Butts (RF/LF), Jorgia Smith (1B/C) and Ava White (OF/3B). 

Maynard in ’25 as a sophomore finished the season with 71 at-bats in 24 games, including 28 hits (four doubles, one triple, one home run), 33 runs, 17 RBI, nine walks, two sacrifice flies, 10 HBP and 19 steals with a .394 BA, a .511 OBP and a .521 SLG. 
Bales in ’25 had a .288 BA with a .420 OBP and .500 SLG in 25 games. She ended the season with 66 at–bats with 19 hits (four doubles, two triples, two home runs), 14 runs, 12 walks, two sacrifices, six steals and three HBP. 

Morrow is coming off a ’25 sophomore season where she played in 24 games where she had 61 at-bats with 13 hits (one double) with seven runs, five walks, three sacrifices and five steals with a .213 BA, a .273 OBP and a .230 SLG. 

Smith in ’25 as a sophomore (24 games) finished with 73 at-bats, 19 hits (four doubles, two triples, one HR), 12 runs, seven walks and three steals, with a .260 BA, a .325 OBP and a .411 SLG.

Fairfield’s sophomores are Kelsie Crowder (SS/2B), Jorja May (3B/C) and Avery Morrow (LF/1B). The lone freshman is Layla Howard (RF/C). 

Crowder played 25 games her freshman season, as she finished with a .500 BA, a .556 OBP and .770 SLG with 74 at-bats. She also collected 37 hits (eight doubles, four HR), 26 runs, 10 walks, three sacrifice flies, three HBP and seven steals.

Avery Morrow as a freshman played in 22 games, ending the ’25 season with 11 hits (three doubles), 11 runs, one sacrifice, two HBP, with a .244 BA, a .414 OBP and .311 SLG. 

Fairfield’s non-conference schedule for ’26 consists of the following teams: vs. Clinton-Massie (DH), at Greenview, at Western, at Unioto, at Paint Valley, at Portsmouth-Clay, at Waverly, vs. Paint Valley, at McClain, at Hillsboro, vs. Wilmington, at East Clinton and at Williamsburg. 

Playing in Division II of the SHAC, FHS will face Fayetteville, Manchester, Peebles and Whiteoak two times each this season and will take on Eastern, Lynchburg-Clay, North Adams, Ripley and West Union one time each as they are members of Division I of the SHAC. 

Fairfield begins the ’26 season Saturday, March 21 at home against the Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons in a doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at FHS.