Trojans split with Keokuk in SEC doubleheader

The Fairfield baseball team was swept by Keokuk earlier in the season, but that was without a healthy Tyler Cooksey.

Thursday, the two teams met again and Cooksey nearly single-handedly made sure his team wouldn?t be the recipient of a Keokuk sweep twice.

Cooksey belted a pair of homers on 3-for-3 hitting to lead Fairfield to a 6-2 win in game one of the Southeast Conference doubleheader, before a Keokuk comeback in game two resulted in a 5-4 loss for the Trojans.

?I felt we competed well and played hard in spite of the conditions,? said Fairfield head coach Josh Allison. ?Great to have [Cooksey] back and healthy swinging a hot stick.?

The Trojans never trailed in the opener, scoring their first run in the second frame when Kooper Dahlstrom scored on a passed ball. The first of two homers from Cooksey then came in the third inning, when a two-run shot brought Fairfield?s lead to 4-0.

The Chiefs scored two runs in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to two, but Fairfield tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the late innings. Josh Dimmitt scored on a wild pitch in the fifth and Cooksey hit a solo homer in the sixth.

Gridley went 1 for 3 at the plate with one runner batted in, Josh Dimmitt was 1 for 2 with a two-bagger and Dahlstrom finished 1 for 3.

Trojan starter Joe Hietpas tossed six innings of two-run ball to earn the win; he allowed four hits and fanned nine. Corbin Harwood worked one inning of relief to earn the save.

Allison saved some praise for the Trojans? defense, which had just one error in the opener.

?Defensively we played pretty well tonight with a couple of great plays and one spectacular dive up the middle and flip from Nik [Fitch] to Brent [Buch] for a force out,? the head coach said.

In game two, the Trojans led 4-2 until a three-run homer by Keokuk in the seventh inning put the kibosh on Fairfield?s plans for a sweep. Trojan starter Ryan Gaumer took the loss, surrendering five runs in 6 2/3 innings; the junior allowed 10 hits with seven punch outs. Spencer Peterman got the final out in the top of the seventh.

?Tough split ... with the way Ryan threw the entire game,? said Allison. ?He really showed what he was made of tonight.?

Buch had a big game at the plate going 2 for 4, including a double and run scored. Gridley added another double and RBI in four at-bats, and Peterman and Darrin Dimmitt knocked in one run apiece. Fairfield had a total of eight hits in the game.

The Trojans (10-14-1, 6-6 SEC), who are currently in third place in the SEC, visit conference leader Mount Pleasant Monday.

Fairfield vs. Keokuk (Game 1)

Keokuk ? 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 ? 2 5 0

Fairfield ? 0 1 3 0 1 1 X ? 6 6 1

FAIRFIELD ? Cooksey 3-3, 2HR, 3RBI, 2R; Gridley 1-3, RBI, R; J. Dimmitt 1-2, 2B, R; Dahlstrom 1-3, R; Ellis R

Pitching ? Hietpas (W) 6 INN, 2R, ER, 4H, 9K, 2BB; Harwood (S) 1 INN, 0R, 1H

Fairfield vs. Keokuk (Game 2)

FAIRFIELD ? Buch 2-4, 2B, R; Gridley 1-4, 2B, RBI; Peterman 1-2, RBI, R; Dahlstrom 1-2, R; Cooksey 1-2, R; Gaumer 1-3; J. Dimmitt 1-4; D. Dimmitt RBI

Pitching ? Gaumer (L) 6 2/3 INN, 5R, 5ER, 10H, 7K; Peterman 1/3 INN, 0R, 0H