Fairfield earns season sweep of Fayetteville
Lead Summary
By
The Highland County Press-
FAYETTEVILLE — The first-place Fairfield Lady Lions, who are undefeated in the Southern Hills League, earned the season sweep over the Fayetteville Lady Rockets with a 17-7 league win Tuesday at Fayetteville High School.
The Lady Lions take a two-game lead in the Division II race of the SHL with the win over second-place Fayetteville. Eastern Brown leads the Division I race with just one league loss.
The league game included the two top hitting teams in the league, but it was the Lady Rockets (5-2, 9-2) who took an early 2-0 lead. The two-run lead didn't last, as the Lady Lions erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Fairfield (8-0, 10-5) pounded out 18 hits on the afternoon, including nine for extra bases. Courtney Huff, Shelby Smithson, Whitney Hanenkrat, Halie Chain and Cynnamon Sova-Davy all had three hits on the afternoon. Huff went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and three RBIs, while Smithson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Hanenkrat went 3-for-5, including a triple, home run, two runs and one RBI. Chain was 3-for-5, with three doubles and one RBI, while Sova-Davy finished 3-for-3, with one double, two runs and one RBI.
The Lady Lions would put two runners on base in the top of the first inning on back-to-back singles by Smithson and Hanenkrat but failed to get a timely hit. A Fairfield error and two Fayetteville hits led to two runs in the bottom of the first inning by Fayetteville.
FHS tied the score with two runs in the top of the second inning, as Chain led off the inning with a double to the fence in right-centerfield. Sova-Davy followed with a walk.
Both runners advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch. Kaitlin Evans laid down a sacrifice bunt, as Chain scored on the safety squeeze. Huff drove in Sova-Davy with a single to left-centerfield.
FHS took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the top of the third inning.
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Hanenkrat led off the inning with a home run over the right field fence just to the right of the scoreboard. With the bases empty and two outs, Chain doubled to the fence in centerfield, and Sova-Davy singled to left-centerfield to score Chain.
Fayetteville picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-3.
Again, the Lady Lions answered with two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 6-3. Evans led off the inning with a double off the fence in centerfield, and Huff was safe on an infield single moving Evans to third base. Both runners scored on a double down the left field line by Smithson.
After Fayetteville scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, making it a one-run game, FHS added seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.
The inning began with a one-out triple by Hanenkrat, followed by Lauren Larrick being called safe at first base on an infield hit.
Liz Jones came off the bench to run for Larrick and stole second base. Both Hanenkrat and Jones scored on a single to right-centerfield off the bat of Sirenity Smith.
Justice Hattan entered the game as a pinch runner for Smith and raced from first base to score on a double to left field by Chain. Chain scored on a wild pitch. Sova-Davy singled to left field, and Evans drew a base on balls. Huff doubled to the fence in right field to drive in Sova-Davy and Evans. Smithson completed the scoring for the Lady Lions with a double to the fence in left field.
Larrick (10-4) picked up the victory for the Lady Lions. The senior pitched seven innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits and no walks. Larrick finished with nine strikeouts.
FHS will host SHL and Highland County rival Whiteoak on Thursday at 5 p.m.
The Lady Lions take a two-game lead in the Division II race of the SHL with the win over second-place Fayetteville. Eastern Brown leads the Division I race with just one league loss.
The league game included the two top hitting teams in the league, but it was the Lady Rockets (5-2, 9-2) who took an early 2-0 lead. The two-run lead didn't last, as the Lady Lions erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Fairfield (8-0, 10-5) pounded out 18 hits on the afternoon, including nine for extra bases. Courtney Huff, Shelby Smithson, Whitney Hanenkrat, Halie Chain and Cynnamon Sova-Davy all had three hits on the afternoon. Huff went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and three RBIs, while Smithson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Hanenkrat went 3-for-5, including a triple, home run, two runs and one RBI. Chain was 3-for-5, with three doubles and one RBI, while Sova-Davy finished 3-for-3, with one double, two runs and one RBI.
The Lady Lions would put two runners on base in the top of the first inning on back-to-back singles by Smithson and Hanenkrat but failed to get a timely hit. A Fairfield error and two Fayetteville hits led to two runs in the bottom of the first inning by Fayetteville.
FHS tied the score with two runs in the top of the second inning, as Chain led off the inning with a double to the fence in right-centerfield. Sova-Davy followed with a walk.
Both runners advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch. Kaitlin Evans laid down a sacrifice bunt, as Chain scored on the safety squeeze. Huff drove in Sova-Davy with a single to left-centerfield.
FHS took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the top of the third inning.
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Hanenkrat led off the inning with a home run over the right field fence just to the right of the scoreboard. With the bases empty and two outs, Chain doubled to the fence in centerfield, and Sova-Davy singled to left-centerfield to score Chain.
Fayetteville picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-3.
Again, the Lady Lions answered with two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 6-3. Evans led off the inning with a double off the fence in centerfield, and Huff was safe on an infield single moving Evans to third base. Both runners scored on a double down the left field line by Smithson.
After Fayetteville scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, making it a one-run game, FHS added seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.
The inning began with a one-out triple by Hanenkrat, followed by Lauren Larrick being called safe at first base on an infield hit.
Liz Jones came off the bench to run for Larrick and stole second base. Both Hanenkrat and Jones scored on a single to right-centerfield off the bat of Sirenity Smith.
Justice Hattan entered the game as a pinch runner for Smith and raced from first base to score on a double to left field by Chain. Chain scored on a wild pitch. Sova-Davy singled to left field, and Evans drew a base on balls. Huff doubled to the fence in right field to drive in Sova-Davy and Evans. Smithson completed the scoring for the Lady Lions with a double to the fence in left field.
Larrick (10-4) picked up the victory for the Lady Lions. The senior pitched seven innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits and no walks. Larrick finished with nine strikeouts.
FHS will host SHL and Highland County rival Whiteoak on Thursday at 5 p.m.