Lions lose close game to Hawley
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions bounced back from a loss in their District 8-2A baseball opener to even their league record last week.
The Lions (10-2 overall, 2-1 district) then hosted Haskell on Tuesday, March 28, winning 15-0. Details will be reported next week.
Albany plays its first district road game at 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 31, at Stamford.
On Tuesday, March 21, Albany lost to Hawley 2-1 despite holding a 5-2 advantage in hits.
“We outhit them; we just had too many walks and mental errors, and base running errors as well,” coach David Fairchild said. “We faced a good pitcher but still needed to be able to put the ball in play and put pressure on their defense. I felt we pitched well enough to have won the game.”
Pitchers Cole Chapman and Tyler Chapman combined to hold the Bearcats without an earned run on two hits. But three errors, six walks, and a balk helped Hawley scratch out runs in the second and fifth innings.
Albany’s run came in the third when Caden Price doubled and scored on Zane Waggoner’s two-out single.
The Lions stranded seven runners, failing to take advantage of two on with one out in both the second and the fourth. In the fourth, Cole Read was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from second on Brody Oliver’s single.
Albany had the potential winning run at the plate in the seventh after Price worked a two-out walk, but Cason Fairchild bounced into a force play to end it.
Coy Lefevre also had a single for Albany.
On Friday, March 24, the Lions beat Anson 6-1.
Read pitched six innings, striking out eight, while allowing an unearned run on four hits. He benefitted from error-free defense, spearheaded by Cole Chapman’s nine putouts at shortstop.
After spotting the Tigers an unearned run in the first, Albany responded with two in the second and three in the third to take control.
In the second, Lefevre walked and scored on an error to tie up the game. Oliver drove in courtesy runner Calhan Fairchild with the go-ahead run on a groundout.
In the third, Read and Tyler Chapman, who both went 2 for 3, delivered consecutive two-out RBI singles. In between, Lefevre, who drew another walk, stole home.
Waggoner, who was 2 for 4, added a two-out RBI single in the fourth to close out the scoring.
Price added a single as the Lions finished with seven hits.
“We just have to get our bats hot again,” David Fairchild said. “They’re pretty quiet right now. Once again, we had too many strikeouts.”
Albany batters struck out 16 times against Hawley and seven times against Anson.
Junior Varsity
Albany’s JV played just one game last week,falling 9-2 to Hawley.
The JV Lions (3-4) have just one game this week, as well, taking on Stamford following the varsity game on Friday.
Against Hawley, Will LeMay started on the mound, working one inning, and was followed by Calhan Fairchild, Oliver, Mason McCloy, and Kolt Koemel, who each pitched an inning.
“Will threw well,” David Fairchild said. “It’s always good to get innings on the mound for the younger guys. We just had too many walks that cost us.”’
Aaden Mendez had a double and an RBI with Ethan Green getting a single and an RBI. Jake Hale and Landon Balliew each added a single.
HAWLEY 2, ALBANY 1
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
HAWLEY 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2/2/1
ALBANY 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1/5/3
atbat runs hits RBI
Price cf 3 1 1 0
CsFairchild 3b 3 0 0 0
Waggoner 1b 3 0 1 1
CChapman ss 3 0 0 0
Lefevre 2b 3 0 1 0
Read c 2 0 1 0
TChapman p 3 0 0 0
ClFairchild lf 2 0 0 0
LeMay lf 1 0 0 0
Oliver dh 3 0 1 0
Totals 26 1 5 1
2B – Price.
SB – CSFairchild, Lefevre, LeMay.
IP H R ER BB SO
CChapman 3 2 1 0 3 2
TChapman 4 0 1 0 3 6
WP – CChapman. HBP – TChapman. Balk – CChapman.
ALBANY 6, ANSON 1
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
ANSON 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/5/1
ALBANY 0 2 3 1 0 0 x 6/7/0
atbat runs hits RBI
Price rf 3 0 1 0
ClFairchild rf 1 2 0 0
CsFairchild cf 2 1 0 0
Waggoner 1b 4 0 2 1
CChapman ss 3 1 0 0
Lefevre 2b 1 2 0 0
Read 3b 3 0 2 1
TChapman p 3 0 2 1
Russell dh 2 0 0 0
Oliver c 2 0 0 1
Lemay ph 1 0 0 0
Totals 25 6 7 4
HBP – CsFairchild, Hill. SB – Price, ClFairchild, CsFairchild 3, Lefevre 2, Hill.
IP H R ER BB SO
Read 6 4 1 0 2 8
TChapman 1 1 0 0 1 2
HBP – TChapman.
