Fairfield Lady Lions win 25th SHAC championship

The top two teams in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II faced off Wednesday afternoon at the Fairfield Baseball/Softball Complex in the last regular-season game with the SHAC championship on the line.  

The game was a classic as both teams battled for seven innings and featured outstanding plays by both teams, but the Lady Lions (17-6, 12-1 SHAC) staged a seventh-inning rally to break a 3-3 tie to defeat the Manchester Lady Hounds (18-6, 10-3 SHAC) 4-3 in walk-off style.  

The two teams faced each other last week as Manchester defeated Fairfield 9-8 to draw within a game of Fairfield for first place. Wednesday’s game was a classic featuring two of the top pitchers in the conference and the Southeast District in senior Rylie Young of Manchester and junior Rilee Quickle of Fairfield.

Manchester’s lead-off hitter Addilynn Hunter drew a walk to lead off the game, but Quickle retired the next three batters on six pitches.

Fairfield’s Quickle had a 10-pitch at-bat and walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Ally Maynard was hit by a pitch (her 10th of the season), putting runners on first base and second base.  

Jobey Hattan doubled off the fence in centerfield to score Quickle, plus advancing Maynard to third base. Kelsie Crowder was also hit by a pitch to load the bases.  

One out later, Alyssa Bales had a quality at-bat and drew a bases-loaded walk to score Maynard and give the Lady Lions a 2-0 lead.

Fairfield added another run in the bottom of the second inning. Avery Morrow drew a walk to lead off the inning. Whitlee Morrow laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Morrow to second base. Morrow was called out for leaving the base early, but Quickle was hit by a pitch to reach first base.  

Maynard was safe on an infield error, and when the throw was wild at first base, allowing Quickle to score all the way from first base, Maynard was tagged out trying to take third base.

Both pitchers were on top of their game. After a walk to lead off the game, Quickle retired 10 batters in a row. Young of Manchester shut out the Lady Lions’ offense in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, allowing no hits and one walk, while striking out eight batters.

The Lady Greyhounds scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning. Ellianna Applegate and Brystlynn McClanahan had singles to centerfield. An infield error scored Applegate to make the score 3-1.

Manchester’s Abby Neria dropped a soft fly ball behind first base for a single to lead off the top of the fifth inning. One out later, Hunter had a bunt single that advanced Neria to second base. 

Young hit a ground ball to second baseman Crowde,r who flipped to shortstop Hattan to force out Hunter, but the return throw to first base was wild and Neria scored to draw within a run at 3-2.

Both teams put runners on in the sixth inning, but failed to score.

Neria reached first base on an infield error to lead off the seventh inning for Manchester. Peyton Hayslip singled just inside the right field foul line as Neria raced to third base.  

Hunter then grounded out to shortstop to score Neria and tie the score 3-3.

Fairfield then walked Young to set up a force play. Hattan then came up with the defensive play of the week as Applegate hit a hard ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop, and Hattan raced into short left field 10-feet into the grass to stop the ground ball and from her knees threw a strike to third baseman Bales to force out Hayslip.  

On the very next pitch, first baseman Jorgia Smith made a diving catch of a line drive to end the inning and keep the score tied at 3-3.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and needing a run, freshman leftfielder Avery Morrow laced a line drive single to left field. Jorja May came off the bench as a pinch runner for Morrow.  

Whitlee Morrow laid down a sacrifice bunt to move May to second base. With two outs and the winning run standing on second base, Quickle stepped to the plate and hit a well-placed single to short right field as May raced home with the winning run.

The victory gives the Lady Lions their 25th SHAC championship in the last 52 years. It is their eighth SHAC championship in the last nine years.

Leading hitters for the Lady Lions: Quickle (1-for-2, two runs, one RBI), Maynard (HBP, one run), Hattan (1-for-3, double, one RBI), Sanders (SAC bunt), Crowder (HBP, walk), Bales (walk), Avery Morrow (1- for-2, walk), Whitlee Morrow (two SAC bunts) and May (one run).                 

Quickle (17-4) was the winning pitcher for Fairfield, throwing seven innings, while allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts.