After cancelling games Thursday and Friday due to rain and snow, the Fairfield Lady Lions got back on the field on Saturday as they travelled to South Point to play the Pointers. It was another cold but sunny day as the Fairfield Lady Lions (3-0, 1-0 Southern Hills Athletic Conference) shutout the South Point Pointers (0-3, 0-1 Southern Ohio Conference), 13-0.
Caitlyn Quickle threw a one-hitter on the afternoon while striking out eight Pointer batters.
Senior second baseman Halle Hamilton lead the Lady Lions’ 13-hit attack with three hits.
Fairfield wasted no time heating up its bats on a cold day, scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning on singles by Hamilton, Jobey Hattan, and Katelyn Chambliss.
The Lady Lions added three runs in the second inning on a single by Hannah Hamilton, single by Halle Hamilton, double by Jobey Hattan, and a double by Emmi Vance.
Fairfield made the score 7-0 with two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Sydney Hooper led off with a single, Halle Hamilton and Hattan followed with back-to-back walks, and Chambliss drove in the two runs on a single through the left side of the infield.
Fairfield erupted with six runs in the top of the fifth and final inning. Faith Miller walked, Hannah Hamilton singled, Halle Hamilton singled, Hattan reached first on a dropped third strike, Vance singled, Chambliss singled, Sydney Sanders and Miller drew consecutive walks, and Hannah Hamilton singled.
After the first two batters reached base on an error and a base on balls in the bottom of the first inning for South Point, Quickle proceeded to strike out the side and retired the next 15 of 16 Pointer hitters. The lone hit came in the bottom of the third inning. Quickle secured her second win and second shutout of the season.
Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Halle Hamilton (3 for 3, 3 runs, 1 RBI), Hattan (2 for 3, double, 4 runs, 3 RBIs), Vance (2 for 3, double, 1 run, 2 RBIs, Chambliss (2 for 3, 1 run, 3 RBIS), Miller (0 for 2, 2 walks, 1 run, 1 RBI), Hannah Hamilton (3 for 3, 2 runs, 1 RBI).
Quickle (2-0) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield. In five innings of work she gave up one hit, no runs, one walk and struck out eight.
Maddy Evans (0-3) suffered the loss for South Point. In 4.3 innings, she allowed 11 runs (nine earned) on four walks, and four strikeouts. Olivia Perkins threw 0.6 innings and allowed two hits and two earned runs, walked three and did not strike anyone out.
Fairfield was to host West Union on Monday. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. Fairfield is at Miami Trace Tuesday, had games Thursday and Friday postponed, and hosts a quad match a Fairfield on Saturday. At noon Saturday, Fairfield will play Portsmouth Clay and Clinton-Massie will play Paint Valley, and at 2 p.m. Fairfield will play Paint Valley while Portsmouth Clay plays Clinton Massie.
Tom Purtell is a softball coach at Fairfield High School in Leesburg.
