Trojan baseball walks off Warriors

BLOOMFIELD — The most exciting game in the 2021 Davis County Invitational Saturday came in the one game featuring two Union area teams.

After trailing 7-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Fairfield baseball team staged a thrilling seven-run rally to storm back and beat Van Buren County 8-7 on a walk-off two-run single by Evan Haines.

Haines, a junior designated hitter, sent the ball into left-center field to cap a wild final inning of play.

Haines’ game-winner was only the second Trojan hit of the inning and the third of the entire game. Fairfield took six walks in the final frame.

Haines finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Nate Woodburn, Dylan Hunter and Wyatt Baker each knocked in a run.

Tallon Bates and Tate Allen split time on the mound. Allen received the win, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two talks, while striking out four batters over 3⅔ innings. Bates pitched 3⅓ innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits, three walks and three hit batters. Bates struck out two.

Fairfield had an early lead, going up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when Conner Lyons walked and came around to score. Van Buren responded by plating one in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and three in the seventh.

Van Buren’s Casey Yochum went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Ryan Wolf was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Bailey Roen knocked in a run as well.

Treyton Bainbridge had a strong start on the mound, throwing five innings and giving up just one earned run on no hits and six walks, while striking out seven. He hit one batter.

The final innings were split between Yochum, Lukas McEntee and Lucas Fett.

In their only other game in the tournament, Fairfield took a tough 4-3 loss to Davis County, a game in which Lyons finished 2-for-4 and both Bates and Nate Woodburn knocked in runs.

Van Buren took a 7-1 loss to Grinnell in the Warriors’ only other game. Bainbridge, Tochum and Jackson Manning all had hits in the loss.

Fairfield and Van Buren County are both 1-3 on the young season.