It was an absolutely beautiful day for softball Monday as the Fairfield Lady Lions defeated the home-standing Eastern Brown Lady Warriors, 12-2, to clinch their sixth consecutive Southern Hills Athletic Conference Championship and their 23rd in program history.
The game saw Caitlin Quickle notch her 10th pitching victory of the season. Emmi Vance had a career game going 3 for 3 with two mammoth home runs and 5 RBI.
Fairfield improved to 10-1 in the SHAC and 16-3 overall, while Eastern fell to 6-5 in the SHAC and 8-7 overall.
Fairfield’s high powered offense wasted no time getting on the board with 4 runs in the top of the first inning. Halle Hamilton drew a base on balls to get things started, Jobey Hattan was safe on a bunt single as Hamilton race to third base on the hit. Quickle grounded out to score Hamilton. Vance then blasted a home run deep over the right center field fence to score Hattan. Sydney Sanders was hit by pitch, Faith Miller walked, and Hannah Hamilton single to left field to score Sanders.
Fairfield added five more runs in the top of the second inning. Halle Hamilton started the inning with a base on balls, Hattan singled and Quickle singled to score Hamilton. Vance followed with a single to score Hattan, and Sydney Sanders singled to score Gwen Cox running for Quickle. Miller scored Vance on a ground ball to the right side of the infield. Sydney Sanders scored on a wild pitch.
Eastern Brown scored two runs on two hits in the bottom of the second inning, but the Lady Lions answered with two runs in the top of the third inning. Hattan led off the inning with a base hit up the middle and one out later Vance hit another mammoth home run this time over the left center field fence.
Fairfield completed the scoring in top of the fifth inning with a run.
Leading hitters for the Lady Lions were: Halle Hamilton (0 for 2, 2 walks, 2 runs), Hattan (3 for 3, 4 runs), Quickle (1 for 3, 1 runs, 2 RBI), Vance (3 for 3, 2 home runs, 3 runs, 5 RBI), Sydney Sanders (1 for 3, 2 runs, 1 RBI), Miller (0 for 3, 2 RBI), Hannah Hamilton (2 for 4, 1 RBI), and Sydney Hooper (1 for 3).
Quickle (10-2) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield. In five innings in the circle she allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.
Allie Grooms (0-3) suffered the loss for Eastern Brown. In her lone inning of work she have up seven earned runs on five hits and three walks. She did not strike anyone out. Malory Carney pictured four innings for Eastern allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out seven.
Fairfield was to play a non-conference game Tuesday at home against Zane Trace. The Lady Lions will host a sectional tournament championship game on Thursday against the winner of a Tuesday sectional semifinal game between Eastern Brown and Lynchburg-Clay. Both games will start at 5 p.m.
Tom Purtell, a Fairfield softball coach, provided the information for this story.
