Fairfield baseball splits on Thursday and Friday

Fairfield baseball had its ups and downs on the ball diamond this past week.

In doubleheaders on Thursday and Friday the Trojans took on Southeast Conference opponents Fort Madison and Keokuk, splitting in each.

On Thursday, the Trojans fell to Fort Madison 8-6, but bounced back with a 9-0 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

In Friday’s contest against Keokuk it was the same story. Fairfield dropped the first of two, 7-5, but turned it around with a 4-1 win in game two.

In the first Thursday matchup, Fort Madison took a large lead early, but the Trojans were able to chip away throughout the game.

After going scoreless through the first, both teams got on the board in the second.

It was Fort Madison who held the advantage, outscoring the Trojans 6-1 in the inning. The Trojans one run came from Chandler Pumphrey, who found his way home after Connor Lyons drew a walk with the bases loaded.

The bats continued to make contact in the third.

Fort Madison added two to its total with a two out two RBI single with the bases loaded.

Fairfield gained some big ground in the inning. Nate Woodburn got the Trojans started right with double. After a pair of walks and a Dylan Hunter hit and error, it was 8-3. Cason Miller then drew a walk and Lyons delivered with two RBI single to make it 8-5.

From then on out, it was three straight scoreless innings, but Fairfield showed signs of life in the seventh.

With runners at the corners, the Trojans grounded out twice, one which drove in a run to cut the lead to 8-6. Fairfield was unable to complete the comeback as they flew out the next at-bat.

Lyons went 1-4 in the contest with four RBIs. Hunter went 1-2 with a single RBI. Miller, Nate Smithburg, Tate Allen, Nate Woodburn, Pumphrey, and Brad Woodburn all had one RBI.

Tate Allen was on the mound for the Trojans in the loss. He allowed eight hits, eight runs (six earned), one walk and six strikeouts.

In game two against the Bloodhounds, it was all Fairfield.

Nate Smithburg was dominant on the mound for the Trojans.

The senior allowed just two hits, four walks and 11 total strikeouts.

Fairfield started hot at the plate. The Trojans scored seven runs in the first inning.

After three scoreless innings, Fairfield tacked on two more in the fifth to pull out of reach.

The Trojans defense stood strong in the final two innings.

Nate Woodburn grabbed a pair of hits and RBIs in the win, 2-3. Lyons went 1-4 with two RBIs. Cason Miller went 1-3 with an RBI. Chandler Pumphrey also tallied a hit, 1-3, with an RBI. Tallon Bates and Hunter also picked up one RBI.

“You like to be a little bit more consistent, especially in the second game,” Fairfield head coach Josh Allison said. “We scored runs early and then we just went dead. We were just satisfied, but we cant do that. We just gotta keep going.”

On Friday in the opening game against Keokuk, it was anyone's game, but it was Fairfield who came up on the short end of the stick.

Keokuk won the first inning 3-2 and followed up with runs in the second and third, scoring one run in the second and three in the third.

The Trojans scored one in the fourth and nearly completed the comeback in the seventh, with two more runs, but it wasn’t enough.

Miller, Lyons and Hunter each all tallied two hits in the contest.

Allen, Smithburg, Pumphrey and Brad Woodburn each had one hit.

Brad and Nate Woodburn were on the hill for Fairfield.

In game two, Fairfield led the entire way.

After a scoreless first, the Trojans scored one run in both the second and third innings.

Keokuk added one in the fourth to make it 2-1, but that would be it for the Chiefs.

Following the fifth and sixth innings, Fairfield solidified the win with two additional runs in the seventh.

Fairfield had five hits in the contest.

Miller, Lyons, Brad Woodburn, Bates and Hunter all had a hit in the game.

Lyons threw from the mound in the win. He allowed just four hits, one run, four walks and 12 strikeouts.