Fairfield moves one step closer to SEC title

Now they see it. Now they don?t.

A lot like magic, the Fairfield softball team made Keokuk?s aspirations for a Southeast Conference title disappear in Thursday?s doubleheader in Fairfield.

The Trojans, who had already swept the Chiefs in Keokuk earlier this season, took one final game from their conference foe to stay atop the SEC and two games ahead of the defending conference champions. Fairfield won the opener 9-8 before dropping the nightcap 3-2, but there was no doubt the damage had already been done in game one.

The Trojans (20-15, 11-3 SEC) are now one game ahead of Washington, which ended conference play with a sweep of Mount Pleasant Thursday. Fairfield concludes SEC play with an away doubleheader at the Panthers? house Monday; a sweep would give the Trojans the conference title outright while one win would grant them a share of the title.

?We got the minimum requirement to stay ahead in the conference,? said Fairfield head coach Bob Bradfield. ?Keokuk?s been in the state tournament the last three years and have everybody back from last year?s team ... so to win three out of four in the series with them is great for our kids.?

On Thursday, the Trojans pulled plenty of rabbits out of their hats, including a three-run home run by sophomore McKenna Ledger and run-saving throw out by freshman Jolea Burkhart.

?Sort of some unsung heroes came through there,? said Bradfield. ?McKenna hitting that home run and Jolea throwing the girl out at home to seal the win for us ? those were great plays by those two.?

Ledger?s three-run shot over the fence in straightaway center field was just the cherry on top of a big eight-run fifth inning for Fairfield, which entered the frame down 6-1.

As part of the eight-hit frame, the Trojans strung together three straight RBI-singles from Mackenzie McClure, Karley Williams and Bryana Gridley to come within one run.

?Kids came through with some big hits in the first game. That was great,? Bradfield said. ?It looked like we were dead in the water, down 5-0 and then 6-1, but then we strung a bunch together.?

Then Ledger?s go-ahead home run put the Trojans up for good, 8-6.

?She?s been hitting the ball fairly hard lately, but that was a welcome surprise when she hit the home run,? Bradfield said.

In fact, even Ledger was a little surprised by how far the ball flew.

?I didn?t even know it went out,? said Ledger, who raised her average from .164 to .190 in the doubleheader. ?It felt amazing because I?ve kind of been in a slump. I haven?t been hitting as much for my team as I wish I could this year, so when I did that I was very, very happy.?

Fairfield junior Katie Anderson capped the fifth-inning outburst with an RBI-single to score Sydney Burnett.

Keokuk scored two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut Fairfield?s lead to 9-8, and then the Trojans and Chiefs made things even more interesting in the top of the seventh.

With Haley Grunwald taking the mound in relief of starter Alli Deao in the seventh, a fielding error put one on for Keokuk, and a walk and subsequent single loaded the bases with one out. A fly out to right field appeared deep enough to score the runner from third base, but an on-target chuck from Burkhart to home plate beat the runner and preserved the win.

?I?m sure Keokuk looked at our right fielder and saw she?s 5-foot tall and weighs 90 pounds and figured their girl could tag and score,? Bradfield said. ?But Jolea threw it all the way home and got her out. That was a great play on Jolea?s part.?

Burnett led the 12-hit offense on 4-for-4 hitting with a double and three runs scored. Anderson was 2 for 3, Ledger finished 2 for 3 with three RBI and McClure was 1 for 4 with two RBI.

Deao picked up the win, allowing eight runs ? three earned ? in six innings. Grunwald was credited with the save pitching a scoreless inning.

In the nightcap, Marisa Repp scored Burnett on a sacrifice in the third inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. A Keokuk throwing error scored Williams in the fourth to tie the game at 2-all, but Keokuk pulled ahead with another run in the top of the sixth.

Once again, the Trojans made it interesting in the final inning. The girls in orange and black appeared primed for a seventh-inning rally but left two on base following singles from both Repp and Burnett.

The Trojans were held to three hits in the nightcap. Repp was 1 for 3 with an RBI, Ledger went 1 for 3 and Burnett was 1 for 4 with a run scored. Following Grunwald?s one-inning save in the first game, the junior pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits.

Fairfield will look to become SEC champs for the first time since 2005 when it visits struggling Mount Pleasant (13-22, 3-11 SEC) Monday.

?I feel that we can get Mount Pleasant in two,? added Ledger. ?Definitely if we just come and play our best we can get a conference title that we haven?t gotten in quite a few years.?

Fairfield vs. Keokuk (Game 1)

Keokuk ? 0 0 5 0 1 2 0 ? 8 13 1

Fairfield ? 0 0 1 0 8 0 X ? 9 12 4

FAIRFIELD ? Burnett 4-4, 3R; Anderson 2-3, RBI, R; Ledger 2-3, HR, 3RBI, R; McClure 1-4, 2RBI, R; Williams 1-4, RBI, R; Gridley 1-4, RBI, R; Repp 1-3

Pitching ? Deao (W, 10-6) 6 INN, 8R, 3ER, 12H, K, BB; Grunwald (S) 1 INN, 0R, H, BB

Fairfield vs. Keokuk (Game 2)

Keokuk ? 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 ? 3 6 2

Fairfield ? 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 ? 2 3 2

FAIRFIELD ? Repp 1-3, RBI; Burnett 1-4, R; Ledger 1-3; Williams R

Pitching ? Grunwald (L, 8-8) 7 INN, 3R, 3ER, 6H, 0K, BB