It was a cold day this afternoon at Mitchell Park in Greenfield as the Fairfield Lady Lions (9-1, 6-0 SHAC) of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference faced off against the McClain Lady Tigers of the South Central Ohio League. Despite of the cold weather, the Lady Lions’ bats remained red hot pounding out 15 hits on the afternoon. Battery mates Kaiti White and Kourtnie Smith both had 3 hits and combined for 6 rbi’s. White threw a two hit shutout, her sixth of the season, while striking out 16 Lady Tiger batters. The Lady Lion defense was also stellar.
Both pitchers Abby Stout and White would shut out their opponents the first two innings, but the Lady Lions’ bats would come alive in the top of the third inning. With two outs and no one base, Carli Reiber with a quality at bat drew a base on balls. White followed with a single up the middle to advance Reiber to second base. Molly Thackston entered the game as a courtesy runner for White. Smith blasted a double to the fence in left centerfield scoring Rieber easily from second base as Thackston raced around third and headed for home. But a strong rely from centerfielder Kendal Pollard to shortstop Brooklyn Rickman to catcher Elizabeth Kegley to cut down Thackston at the plate.
The game remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth inning as the Lady Lions erupted for five runs. In the inning, Sherry Heckathorn walked, Reiber had a bunt single, White singled, Smith singled, Emily Williams singled, and Shania Setty singled.
Fairfield added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Heckathorn was safe on an error to lead off the inning. Reiber singled, Williams singled, and Lauren Arnold singled.
The Lady Lions would finish the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Pinch hitter Allison Davis had a bunt single to lead off the inning. Heckathorn was safe on an error, Reiber walked, White singled to drive in Davis, and Smith drove in Heckathorn on a fielder’s choice.
White and the Lady Lions defense was dominating again today. At one point, White striking out 7 consecutive Lady Tiger hitters in the second, third, and fourth innings.
Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Heckathorn (1 for 4, 3 runs), Reiber (2 for 3, 3 runs, 1 rbi), White (3 for 5, 1 run, 2 rbi), Smith (3 for 5, 1 run, 4 rbi), Williams (2 for 5, 1 run), Arnold (1 for 3, 1 rbi), Setty (2 for 4, 1 rbi), Ashley Sanderson ( 0 for 3, 1 rbi), Davis (1 for 1, 1 run).
White (9-1) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield. Kaiti’s Pitching line: 7 innings, 2 hit, no runs, no earned runs, 1 walk, and 16 strikeouts. Stout suffered the loss for McClain. Stout’s pitching line: 7 innings, 15 hits, 10 runs, 6 earned runs, 4 walks, and 1 strikeout.
Tom Purtell is the assistant coach for the Lady Lions
