Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Revenge was on Fairfield’s mind heading into Monday night.
Earlier in the season, the Lions were humiliated in a 14-4 loss to Northwest — a game that saw the Mohawks put up six runs in the second inning before closing the deal.
So when Fairfield got its second second chance at the Mohawks, they didn’t waste it.
After heading into the seventh inning in a 3-3 tie, the Lions scored two late runs to punch their district final tickets with a 5-3 victory in a Division III district semifinal.
“Revenge was our biggest motivation, alongside not letting this be our last game of high school,” Fairfield’s Caitlyn Quickle said. “We definitely did not display who we were in the first matchup, so we were all locked in from the very minute we got to the field and ready to show who the better team was.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
Quickle, Fairfield’s standout hurler, was at the center of the storm. She remembered that the Mohawks tagged her for 13 hits. So she was dialed in from the start.
Blowing fastballs past hitters, keeping them off-guard with off-speed pitches and hitting her spots, she showcased why Valparaiso University signed her as she allowed just four hits and struck out 12 batters.
“Knowing how they performed against us and what pitches they took, I did the complete opposite this time,” Quickle said. “It came down to hitting spots and performing the way I needed to, and the way I’m capable of.”
She also wasted no time getting her team’s scoring started. With a runner on second in the first inning, she roped an RBI double into left field, making it 1-0.
Emmi Vance stepped up in the next at-bat and showed her speed, legging out an RBI triple to extend the lead to 2-0.
“Once the ball was hit, I just wanted to get to that farthest base I possibly could,” Vance said. “I think that triple really got some energy going in our dugout and gave us the realization that we can hit Northwest’s pitcher to give Caitlyn some early run support.”
PHOTOS: Images from Fairfield’s district semifinal win over Northwest
Northwest answered in the third, though. With a runner on, Alayna Blazer laced an RBI double to right-center that cut the deficit to 2-1.
Two batters later, Lauren Redoutey gave her Mohawks the lead as she launched a two-run bomb over the center field fence, putting them ahead 3-2.
However, Fairfield responded in the fifth. With two runners on base, Katelyn Chambliss delivered an RBI single into center field to tie the game at 3-3.
Following a scoreless sixth, the Linos had the heart of their lineup coming to the dish and it delivered. With runners on second and third, Vance got the green light on a 3-0 count and registered a sacrifice fly to give the Lions a 4-3 lead.
“I wanted to go backside, especially if I popped up or got any type of hit this way it gave Jobey [Hattan] a little extra time to sprint home,” Vance said. “Watching her cross the plate was a great feeling knowing that I did my job and we got the lead back. We also knew that Northwest was in the bottom of their lineup, so it made things a little tougher for them at that point.”
The Lions then purchased insurance.
Carly Sanders smoked an RBI single into left field to tally the final run of the night before Quickle struck out two batters and got a pop out to seal the deal in the bottom half of the seventh.
Following Quickle’s final stat line, Vance was 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, while Sanders and Chambliss each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
For Northwest, Redoutey went the distance in the loss and struck out eight batters. She also went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Bazler was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Fairfield advances to a Division III district final at 5 p.m., Thursday at Ohio University. The Lions will meet with defending state champion Wheelersburg, which defeated Huntington to move on.
“Having five seniors on this team, we don’t want to lose and end our season short of winning a district,” Vance said. “We’re going to go all out every play on Thursday and do whatever it takes to win.”
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