Trojans edged by Grayhounds

BURLINGTON — The Fairfield softball team was away from home on Monday night with a trip to battle with Burlington. The Trojans were outdone by the Grayhounds, falling 9-6 in the conference contest.

It was a back and forth battle between the two teams, with plenty of fireworks.

Following the first two innings and heading into the top of the third, the Trojans held a 5-4 advantage.

Fairfield went three up three down in the top of third. Burlington turned around in the bottom of the inning, bringing one run across the plate to tie the game at 5-5.

In the fourth, Fairfield took the lead once again, but the Grayhounds answered back.

With one out in the inning, the Trojan’s Coty Engle was walked, setting up the opportunity for Fairfield to retake the lead. Following a Delaney Breen ground out — which moved Engle to second — Hannah Simpson stepped up to the plate.

Simpson crushed the ball to right center for a double to bring Engle home and make it a 6-5 ballgame.

Burlington started the bottom of the fourth with a walk and followed up with a double on an Fairfield error, tying the game once again, 6-6.

The Trojans would never score again.

Fairfield never brought more than four batters to the plate in each of the next three innings.

The Grayhounds added additional runs to the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, bringing three runs home to take a three-run lead, 9-6, putting the Trojans away as they could never make up the difference.

Simpson and Peyton McCabe both went 2-4 in the game. Engle, Emersyn Manley and Savannah Hollander all finished with a single hit.

Engle pitched from the circle for Fairfield. She allows 11 hits, nine runs (five earned), four walks and 10 strikeouts.