Wow, what a weekend!

Having only actually played Mid-Prairie and Knoxville during non-league contests thanks to 10 games with seven different non-Southeast Conference foes being postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather or lingering unfit field conditions, the Trojan varsity baseball team was still able to improve to 16-3 overall and 5-0 in non-conference games with two come-from-behind victories Saturday at the middle school field during a triangular with Southeast Warren and Mediapolis.

Game one

Fairfield junior Carter Ferrel took the mound for all seven innings and threw 94 pitches, allowing only three earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were able to build a three-run lead after plating two scores in the third and what probably felt like an insurance run in the top of the sixth.

Fortunately, the Trojan bats came alive in the home-half of the seventh when Cooper Drish, Ferrel, Drew Martin, Kosta Papazoglou and Austin Simpson all crossed the plate after Martin hit a two-run homer to make it 3-2, before Simpson roped a three-run walk-off to beat the visiting Bulldogs.

The decisive smash was the second time the senior reached safely, while his former classmate Tristin Waugh was the other Trojan to reach base twice via hit.

On top of hitting safely six times, FHS was able to draw six walks, doubling their run-scoring opportunities.

Game two

The second game was the same kind of different with FHS jumping out to 2-0, 4-0 and 5-0 leads before surrendering their advantage and five runs in the 'home-half” of the fourth with the Warhawks playing 'host” in the triangular where each team plays as home/away once. SE Warren continued to pile on the runs in the fifth with two more scores to give themselves a 7-5 cushion before the Trojans started chipping away in the sixth, tying the game in the top of the frame before stifling the Warhawks during their at-bat.

Once again, Fairfield dug deep and plated the victory-enabling run in their final attempt before again relying on their Trojan defense to seal the second-consecutive comeback.

The eight FHS runs were created by 10 hits and three walks drawn by a combined nine Trojans who hit .333 for the contest with a .433 on-base percentage.

Martin and Papazoglou were the two Trojans to hit safely, while Ferrel continued his impressive day with two free passes earned and a run scored.

Sophomore Brad Smithburg threw 66 pitches over the opening 3 1/3, allowing five earned runs on five hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Freshman Connor Lyons came in during the fourth and tossed 48 pitches of relief over the final 3 2/3, allowing two runs, neither earned, off one hit with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Next

16-3 Fairfield will try to improve on their 11-3 SEC mark when they host Mt. Pleasant tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m. for a doubleheader with the also 11-3 Panthers that will decide the champion(s) of the league.

Tues. versus Muscatine

Wed. at Pekin

Fri. versus Davis County