Trojan softball suffers three straight losses, two ranked opponents

Fairfield softball endured arguably its toughest stretch of the season last week with four games, three against teams in the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union’s rankings.

Two of those teams were ranked inside the top five.

After suffering a 4-2 defeat to Class 2A No. 4 Cardinal (24-7) on Monday, the Trojans followed with matchups against No. 12 (3A) Albia (18-9), Ottumwa and No. 5 (3A) Davenport Assumption (22-12-1).

The Trojans were defeated in all three matchups, loses to Albia 10-0, Ottumwa 3-2 and Assumption 10-1.

Against Albia on Wednesday, the Trojans gave up runs in all but one inning of action.

The Lady Dees held a 4-0 lead after three innings and followed with four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to end it.

Faith Jones and Leah Helmick each had hits for Fairfield in the loss.

The Trojans next two losses came on Saturday.

In the matchup with Ottumwa, the Trojans went down 2-0 early as the Bulldogs scored one run in each the first and second inning.

However, Ottumwa wouldn’t score again for four innings. Meanwhile, it took the Trojans six innings to find a run, but they came at the right time.

In the top of the seventh inning with the game on the line, Olivia Hollander and Vanessa Kessel both found a way across home plate to keep the game alive.

It was all for naught though as the Bulldogs pulled out the win with a walk-off in the bottom of the inning.

Leah Helmick led Fairfield going 3-for-4 in the loss. Laney Norris went 2-for-3. Savannah Hollander, Faith Jones, Olivia Hollander, Lilly Bergren and Emmelia Miller all had one hit.

Against the Knights of Assumption, the Trojans faced a formidable deficit within the first three innings.

Assumption rattled off six runs in the first three innings. The Trojans got one back in the fourth off a run scored by Leah Helmick, but the damage couldn’t be averted.

The Knights closed it out with a pair of runs each in the fifth and sixth.

Helmick led Fairfield with a pair of hits and a run. Savannah Hollander, Olivia Hollander, Lilly Bergren and Emmelia Miller all had one hit in the loss.

With the three losses, Fairfield drops to 9-25. They will take on Knoxville (10-12) on Tuesday and then open Class 3A Region 3 play in a rematch with Albia on Thursday.