Fairfield loses two at Burlington

BURLINGTON — On the ball diamond Monday night, it was a tough out for the Fairfield baseball team as a pair of losses to Burlington moves their two game slide to four.

The Trojans were defeated by the Grayhounds in the first of two games 7-5 and 13-3 in the second.

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In game one, the Trojans nearly rallied for the tie, but they ran out of outs in the end.

Burlington scored one in the first and then three more in the third to give itself a 4-0 advantage heading into the fourth.

Fairfield was able to cut the deficit down to two, 4-2, after a two run top of the fourth.

Dain Burkhart and Tallon Bates reached base on an error and a walk.

The duo was later brought home on an Voss Richardson RBI single and after Aidan Kreuter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Burlington answered back in the bottom of the inning with three runs yet again, pushing its lead to five, 7-2.

The Trojans never let up.

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After a scoreless fifth, the Trojans got it down to four in the sixth frame with an sacrifice fly from Brody Phillips that scored Tallon Bates.

After shutting the Grayhounds down in the bottom of the sixth, the Trojans had one more shot to tie or get the lead.

The Trojans had nearly the perfect start to the inning. After a quick out to begin the seventh, Burkhart, Caden Allison and Tallon Bates all got a free trip to first.

With the bases loaded, Aiden Westercamp put the ball in play and brought Burkhart home. Westercamp was also safe at first due to a Burlington error.

Two batters later and Cody Birlson brought a run home and got to first on another Grayhound error to make it 7-5.

With two out and the bases loaded Aidan Kreuter had a shot to knot the game. Kreuter drilled the ball to right field, but the Grayhounds were able to corral the ball.

Westercamp and Brody Phillips each had hits for the Trojans.

Tate Allen, Landon Nodurft and Dain Burkhart all pitched for the Trojans.

The trio gave up a combined seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

In game two, the Trojans were held to just two hits.

Through two innings, it was anyone’s game.

Tate Allen got the Trojans going in the first inning after an errant throw to first.

Landon Nodurft then brought Allen home in the next at-bat after grounding out at first.

In the third at-bat of the game, Dain Burkhart hit a single and then Tallon Bates drilled a two-run homer over the left field wall to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead early.

That proved to be Fairfield’s final hit in the game.

Burlington knotted the game in the bottom of the inning on two wild pitches and a hit by pitch.

After a scoreless second, the Grayhounds scored two more in both the third and fourth frames to make it 7-3.

Neither team scored in the fifth and Burlington sealed the victory with six more in the bottom of the sixth.

Tallon Bates and Dain Burkhart both had hits in the loss. Bates finished with two RBIs and Landon Nodurft finished with one.

Fairfield moves to 6-8 overall and 2-3 in SEC play.

The Trojans will get another chance at Burlington on Thursday.