Trojans come so, so close

WINTERSET — The fight of the Fairfield softball team was felt two-and-a-half hours away from home on Tuesday night.

The 13th-ranked Trojans had their hands full against top-ranked Winterset, but Fairfield made sure the state-championship favored Huskies had plenty to sweat about in the Class 4A Region 5 championship. In the end, Winterset eked out a 4-3 victory and the Trojans were left with what could have been.

“They played a great game,” said Fairfield head coach Bob Bradfield. “We played the number one team in the state, and we had them worried all game.”

Fairfield had to battle back early. Winterset superstar Jena Young, an junior commit to the University of Iowa, drew a walk and came around to score in the bottom of the first inning, reaching home plate on a double off the fence by catcher Bridget Stover.

Fairfield left one runner on in each of the first two innings. Hannah Simpson was stranded after a two-out double in the first, and Jenna Norris wouldn’t score after a one-out single in the second. Fairfield pitcher Coty Engle stranded a Husky on third, in the bottom of the second, and it was 1-0 Winterset after two.

That’s when the Trojans threw their biggest punch of the night.

A lead off infield single by nine-hitter Savannah Hollander gave the Trojan offense some early life in the top of the first inning. Delaney Breen would single as well, and Simpson was intentionally walked, setting up a bases-loaded one out situation.

Payton McCabe sent one down the right field line, but the Winterset right fielder ran it down and kept Hollander on third with a throw back, but Danielle Breen followed with the hit of the night for the Trojans.

Danielle Breen sent a base hit to center field, scoring Hollander to tie the game. Delaney Breen rounded third base hard and dove in just past the tag from Stover, and it was 2-1 Trojans.

That lead, however, did not last long. Engle would get the first two batters of the bottom of the third, bringing up Young in a bases-empty, two-out situation, but the Winterset star crushed an opposite-field home run to left, and the game was tied 2-2.

Two innings later, Winterset delivered a big blow. With the bases loaded and two outs, third baseman Bailey Action blooped a ball to shallow center field, which landed just short of the outstretched glove of Danielle Breen. The Huskies scored two on the play, and had their biggest lead of the day, at 4-2.

But the Trojans weren’t done yet. Fairfield capitalized on three Winterset errors to score a run in the sixth. Danielle Breen scampered home on an over throw to first after a fielder’s choice by Emersyn Manley, and Fairfield was back within one.

One inning later, the Trojans were back at it. Two of the Trojans’ five seniors made it on base when Simpson drew a walk and Danielle Breen reached with a single. Then, with two outs and two on, a third senior, Norris, nearly tied it up with a hard grounder up the middle, but Banning stopped it in the circle and threw it to first to keep the Trojans off the board.

“I feel so bad the seniors, that it's hard for me not to get tears in my eyes,” said an emotional Bradfield after the game. “I know they really wanted this, and it just didn't happen.”

Danielle Breen led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Hollander was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Simpson went 1-for-1 with a double and three walks. Norris was 2-for-4. Delaney Breen was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Engle gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks through six innings. She struck out four Huskies on the day.

Later that night, Winterset (34-4) was given the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A state tournament, where they will face eight-seeded Burlington (20-13). Fairfield (29-10) will be on the outside looking in after giving the favorites all they could handle.

“Winterset is probably the best team in Class 4A, so I have no argument with that,” Bradfield said. “My argument is why we weren't ranked higher, and why we didn't go somewhere else.”

Fairfield’s graduating seniors are Delaney Breen, Danielle Breen, Norris, Simpson and Brynley Allison. The Trojans will return five players who saw the field on Tuesday when the 2023 season rolls around next summer.