Lions to face Winters
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions baseball team tuned up for the playoffs with a 13-3 senior night victory over Hawley in five innings on Tuesday, April 26 at home.
Before the game, seniors Luke Ivy and Cooper Fairchild were honored in a senior night ceremony.
The Lions (13-4 overall) finished second in District 8-2A at 8-2. Albany will take on District 7-2A third seed Winters in a bi-district series. Game 1 is set for 4:00 p.m. Friday, May 6, with Game 2 at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 7. Game 3, if necessary, will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2. All games will be played at Abilene Cooper
Tickets at the gate will be $5 for adults and $3 for students.
“We’ve got a tough test ahead of us this week,” Lions coach David Fairchild said. “We’re facing some hitting and good pitching.”
The coach said the Lions’ approach at the plate will be key.
“We’re going to face somebody we haven’t faced all season long,” he said. “Some of the Winters pitchers have a lot of velocity. We’ve got to be disciplined at the plate and have a good mindset.”
The coach said the 10-day layoff between games assures that all pitchers will be well rested for the series. Albany used four starting pitchers during district play.
“They should all be rested,” he said. “The time off was good for us.”
Against Hawley, Albany overcame an early 2-0 deficit with a three-run second inning, then ended the game early with five runs in the third and four in the fifth.
Coy Lefevre and Zane Waggoner both went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Waggoner hit a home run and doubled, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Lefevre had a triple.
Cooper Fairchild and Tyler Chapman were both 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Bryson Herring also had a hit.
“Coy, Zane, Cooper, and Tyler all had a big night at the plate,” David Fairchild said. “And I thought we pitched well.”
Cole Chapman started on the mound and worked three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks. He struck out four.
Waggoner pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking four of the six men he faced to force in a run. Cole Read recorded the final four outs.
The Bearcats took advantage of two walks, a wild pitch, and a passed ball in the first inning to take the early lead. Waggoner connected for his fourth homer of the season, giving Albany three in its last two games, in the bottom of the inning to start the comeback.
In the second, the Lions pulled even when Cason Fairchild scored on a double steal and took the lead for good on Tyler Chapman’s RBI single. Cooper Fairchild singled in another run.
Albany pulled away in the fourth as Lefevre tripled in two runs. Waggoner followed with a two-run double and scored on a wild pitch.
The Lions ended the game with one out in the fifth. Tyler Chapman, Lefevre, and Cooper Fairchild each scored to invoke the 10-run rule when Waggoner’s single was compounded by an error.
Longball Fundraiser
This year’s longball fundraiser is scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at the AHS ballpark.
Organizer Brittani Lefevre said a start time has yet to be decided.
Players will be accepting pledges for how far they can hit the ball. Each will hit five fair balls with the longest determining the amount of the donation.
“It’s been a good fundraiser for us,” David Fairchild said. “We use that money to buy uniforms, for upkeep on the field, and for other items the program needs.”
ALBANY 13, HAWLEY 3
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
HAWLEY 2 0 0 1 0 x x 3/2/4
ALBANY 1 3 0 5 4 x x 13/11/1
atbat runs hits RBI
Lefevre 2b 4 2 3 3
CoFairchild cf 3 2 2 2
Waggoner 1b 4 2 3 3
CaFairchild 3b 3 1 0 0
Read p 2 2 0 0
Russell cr 0 1 0 0
TChapman rf 3 2 2 2
Herring c 2 1 1 0
Totals 26 13 11 10
2B – Waggoner. 3B – Lefevre. HR – Waggoner. SB – CoFairchild, CaFairchild, Read, Russell.
IP H R ER BB SO
CChapman 3 2 2 1 2 4
Waggoner 0.2 0 1 1 4 1
Read 1.1 0 0 0 1 2
WP – CChapmam. Waggoner. PB – Herring.
