Offense provides more than enough to sweep Chiefs

KEOKUK ? ?A great night for Trojan baseball? according to head coach Josh Allison was what Fairfield left Keokuk with Thursday night.

The two victories were nice too.

The Trojans took care of the Southeast Conference opponent with 2-0 and 7-2 victories following Dylan Gilpin?s three-hit shutout from the mound in game one. Fairfield racked up six second-inning hits ? all singles ? to move runners and scored the only two runs of the game. Brandon Veirs and Willie Ghent delivered the clutch RBIs for Fairfield, but Gilpin really only needed one. All of Fairfield?s nine hits on the game were singles ? led by three from lead off hitter Jake Dunbar ? but what the offense lacked in power, Gilpin more than made up for.

The senior right-hander struck out five, and, aided by a defense that didn?t commit an error, didn?t deliver a pitch with more that one Keokuk runner aboard and never allowed a base runner past second.

In game two, a two-run fourth inning from Keokuk was just enough motivation to get the power stroke going. The Trojans answered back with a five-run fifth led by Grant Liebe?s two-out bases loaded double that scored Corbin Harwood, Alex Rebling and Dunbar. Gilpin, the next batter, worked a nine-pitch at bat to drive in Liebe and put the Trojans up 5-2.

Another Liebe two-bagger in the top of the seventh made him 3-4 in the game and scored Jerred Leonard to begin the two-run inning that added insurance to the Trojan lead. Dakota Simmons took notes from Gilpin and also went the distance for Fairfield in the nightcap scattering seven hits and striking out six in seven innings of work.

?Our pitchers threw the baseball really well and we played great defense behind them. No errors in the double header made a big difference in the outcome of the game,? Allison said. ?This was the kind of game I was expecting us to play, the kind of baseball I have been waiting for all season.?

If Allison?s attitude is any reflection of his team, the Trojans seem to be cranking it up a notch heading down the stretch run of the season. Fairfield will complete the conference season next week with doubleheaders against rivals Mount Pleasant and Washington beginning with Monday?s match up against the ranked Panthers.