Zane Matthews’ 3-run HR lifts Lions to 2nd win of 2024 season

Two games in two days have seen the Fairfield Lions move to 2-0 to start the 2024 season, including a win on Tuesday, as a Zane Matthews home run helped send the Lions to a 10-0, five-inning win over the visiting Peebles Indians. 

In their first game of the season on Monday (March 25), Fairfield defeated Portsmouth Notre Dame 18-4 at Notre Dame, but the following day, the Lions in their home season debut took just five innings to defend their home field against their conference foe. 

FHS (1-0, 2-0) scored two runs in the bottom of the first, followed by a four-run fourth, a three-run fourth and one final run in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the 10-run lead and the run-rule victory. 

The game saw the Lions total 12 hits, and they committed zero errors. Peebles finished the game with two hits, and they committed one error. 

FHS in the bottom of the first saw Cade Miller hit a lead-off single, then steal second base, and then he had a steal of third base. Miller finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. 

Gabe Fouch followed with a walk on five pitches, and Miller scored off a single by Matthews, as Matthews finished 3-for-3 for the game with two runs and five RBI.

On that same sequence, Fouch scored as well on an error at second base, moving Matthews to second base safely. 

Miller led off the third with a single to left field, but two quick outs happened with a pickoff at first base, followed by a strikeout. Fouch kept the inning alive with a walk, and Matthews doubled to centerfield, with the line drive scoring Fouch. 

From there, Cody Frost doubled to left field to plate Matthews, and Frost went to third base off a single by Wyatt Willey. Frost scored when Corbin Willey singled to centerfield for a 5-0 lead. Wyatt Willey gave the Lions a six-run lead as he stole home for the run. 

In the three-run fourth inning by the Lions, Miller singled with one out, and following a sac bunt by Corey Zimmerman, Fouch took first base as he was hit by a pitch. 

Then came the big three-run home run off the bat of Matthews, sending the ball over the centerfield fence. Frost took first on a dropped third strike, and Willey singled to centerfield, moving Frost to third base with two outs. 

Holding a nine-run lead going to the bottom of the fifth inning, Carson Chandler doubled with one out to start the Lions’ half of the fifth inning. Miller followed with a two-base hit to centerfield, scoring Chandler, to end the game. 

Matthews not only had a big-time game at the plate, but he was also the winning pitcher, pitching all five innings (95 pitches, 58 strikes) and allowing no runs on two hits. Matthews finished with nine strikeouts in the win. 

Frost finished the game 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI, and Wyatt Willey was 2-for-3 with one run. Corbin Willey went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Also at the plate for FHS, Chandler was 1-for-1 with one run. Fouch finished the game with three three runs and two walks. Blaine Fauber finished with a walk, as the Lions totaled 23 at-bats, 10 runs, 12 hits, eight RBI and three walks.

BOX SCORE
PHS    000 00x x — 0 2 1 
FHS    204 31x x — 10 12 0

On Monday, the Lions won on the road in their ‘24 season opener by defeating the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans by a 18-4 score. 

FHS scored one run in the top of the first, then followed with a 10-run second inning. FHS added two runs in the fifth and five more in the top of the sixth inning. 

In all for the season opener, the Lions had 18 hits and committed two errors, while Notre Dame (0-2) totaled five hits and had one error. NDHS scored one run in the bottom of the first, followed by a three-run third inning. 

Cade Miller finished 3-for-5 with three runs and a walk. Cody Frost was 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI and two walks. 

Zane Matthews finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Wyatt Willey was 2-for-3 with three runs, one RBI and two walks. Carson Chandler finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. 

Having one hits each were Corey Zimmerman (one RBI, one walk), Gabe Fouch (two RBI, two runs, one walk), Corbin Willey (one run, two RBI, one walk), Blaine Fauber (two runs, one RBI, two walks), Nolan Campbell (one run) and Otis Cockerill (one run, two RBI).

Extra-base hits for the Lions included doubles by Wyatt Willey, Miller (two) and Campbell. Corbin Willey had a triple, while Fouch and Matthews each were hit by a pitch. Fouch and Frost each had a steal. 

Miller was the winning pitcher as he allowed three runs (none earned) on three hits and he had six strikeouts. Fouch finished with one inning pitched, where he allowed one run (unearned) on one hit and he had one strikeout. Wyatt Willey pitched three innings, allowing no runs, one hit and he struck out five. 

BOX SCORE
FHS    1(10)0 025 x — 18 18 2
NDHS    103  000 x — 4 5 1