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Washington Evening Journal
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Fairfield rolls, MP rallies
Trojan baseball racks up 12 in Game 1, Amos’ hit-by-pitch walks off Game 2 for Panthers
MT. PLEASANT — The two games on Monday between Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant on the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex baseball field couldn’t have been much different.
Game 1 was all Fairfield all game long, as the Trojans handed the Panthers their first loss, 12-0. Game 2 saw Mt. Pleasant win it 7-6 in walk-off fashion.
Tate Allen was on the mound for Fairfield in Game 1, and he got all the run support he could ask for, all in a two-inning stretch.
The Trojan offense piled up eight runs in the third inning. That 8-0 stayed put until the top of the fifth, when Fairfield added five more.
“We had a couple of big innings,” said Fairfield head coach Josh Allison. “We started squaring up the ball, which we haven't done a lot of. That was definitely a good sign.”
The Trojans tallied 13 hits in the game. Aidan Kreuter had three of those, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Landon Nodurft went 1-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Aiden Westercamp and Caden Allison knocked in two runs each. Tallon Bates was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Allen knocked in one run.
On the mound, Allen dealt seven innings of work, giving up just four hits in a 10-strikeout shut out performance.
Mt. Pleasant’s Zerek Venghaus led his team, going 1-for-2 with a double. Jake Ensminger took the loss on the mound, giving up 13 runs (11 earned) over five innings.
Game 2 was a slug fest through the first three innings. Mt. Pleasant led 3-2 after a wild opening frame. Fairfield tied it in the second and went back up 5-3 in the top of the third. Mt. Pleasant battled for three of their own in the third to go up 6-5, and Fairfield tied the game at 6-6 with a run in the fourth.
“We were down 2-0, and our kids kept fighting,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker. “I thought Game 2 was a much different group compared to Game 1.”
Fairfield had two runners on base in the top of the sixth inning, but Mt. Pleasant reliever Payton Hagans wiggled out of the jam.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Panthers had the bases loaded for Carter Amos, who stepped to the plate with one out. Amos was hit by the second pitch he saw, which sent the winning run to the plate.
“I told all the guys to keep their heads high after that,” said Allison. “It wasn't one pitch. It wasn't one play.”
Amos went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead Mt. Pleasant in Game 2. J.C. Sitar and Ben Newton each knocked in a run. Venghaus and Jake Ensminger each had two hits.
Venghaus threw five innings for the Panthers, giving up six runs (three earned). Hagans threw two shut out innings to earn the win.
Allison went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs to lead Fairfield in Game 2. Burkhart, Krueter, Bates and Nodurft each had an RBI.
