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Fairfield softball aims for back-to-back state berths
Trojans play Tuesday for a spot in the Class 4A field
FAIRFIELD — The 2020-21 Fairfield softball team is one win away from the promised land.
The 10th-ranked Trojans will take the field Tuesday, either at No. 4 Carlisle or at home against Grinnell. With a win, Fairfield will return to state after a quarterfinal berth last season.
Carlisle and Grinnell were scheduled to play Saturday, the same day Fairfield powered past Keokuk 12-5 to earn their spot in the Class 4A Region 4 final. Those two teams are now playing on Monday night for that final spot.
Fairfield’s regional semifinal wasn’t a cakewalk. One year after having to rally back to beat Fort Madison in the same round, the Trojans had to come back from two different deficits to defeat a Keokuk team it had mercy ruled in all four previous showdowns.
“I'm going to be honest, I wasn't expecting it from them,” said junior first baseman Hannah Simpson. “I'm glad we got it going.”
Fairfield has played Carlisle once this season, falling 11-5 at the Oskaloosa Classic. Trojan ace Coty Engle, who is expected to start on Tuesday, did not pitch in that loss.
One year ago, Fairfield faced Southeast Conference rival Burlington in the regional final. The Trojans won that game 7-2, helped out by a three-RBI night from Jenna Norris and a two-RBI performance from Delaney Breen.
Tuesday night’s game will be the ninth-straight regional final for the Trojan softball program. In the previous eight, Fairfield is 4-4.
The Trojans snapped a two-game regional final losing streak with their win over Burlington last season. They had previously lost 4-1 against Newton in 2018 and 3-0 against North Scott in 2019.
Before 2018, Fairfield made three state tournament trips in a row, from 2015-17. All three regional finals in that stretch came in thrilling fashion, as the Trojans beat North Scott 1-0 on 2015, Keokuk 3-2 in 2016 and Des Moines Hoover 4-2 in 2017.
If Fairfield can win on Tuesday, it will be the first back-to-back trip for the entire roster, which features just one senior and five juniors, with the rest of the squad being underclassmen.
“I think it’s time for us to go back-to-back,” Simpson said.
Fairfield’s Delaney Breen makes an acrobatic move to try and rob a Keokuk batter of a hit in the Trojans’ regional semifinal win. Fairfield will play on Tuesday in the Class 4A Region 4 finals. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)
Fairfield sophomore Coty Engle (pictured) is expected to start in the circle for the Trojans when they play in the Class 4A Region 4 softball final on Tuesday night. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)
