Lions lose to district leader, but secure playoff spot
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions officially punched their ticket for the baseball playoffs last week with victories over Stamford and Haskell.
On Tuesday, April 12, the Lions defeated Stamford 8-2 at home behind a complete game from pitcher Cole Read. On Friday, Albany won 16-6 in six innings at Haskell.
On Tuesday, April 19, the Lions hosted district-leading Anson, losing 10-4. Details will be reported next week.
At 11-4 overall and 6-2 in District 8-2A, Albany held a three-game lead on Stamford and Cisco, who were tied for fourth in the district standings, with two games to go. Hawley is third in the district standings.
“We’ve got to keep working and getting better both on the mound and at the plate,” coach David Fairchild said. “I think we’re making strides. Now that we’re in, we just need to put ourselves in position to get in a good spot in the bracket.”
Against Stamford, Zane Waggoner (1 for 3, double, sacrifice fly) and Read (2 for 3) both drove in two runs. Coy Lefevre was 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Cason Fairchild was 2 for 3. Cole Chapman, Bryson Herring, and Tyler Chapman each had a hit and an RBI. Cooper Fairchild had a single, and Luke Ivy walked twice.
Read needed 95 pitches to throw Albany’s first seven-inning complete game of the season. He was charged with one earned run on six hits. He struck out five and walked one. In his last two starts, the sophomore has worked 13.2 innings and has driven in as many runs as he allowed.
The Lions started fast for the second game in a row, scoring five runs in the first inning and sending 10 batters to the plate.
“Having that kind of start makes it easier,” the coach said. “We just need to finish games and not get too relaxed.”
Waggoner got things going with an RBI double. Cole Chapman, Read, and Tyler Chapman added run-scoring singles, while Cason Fairchild singled and scored on a wild pitch.
Stamford got a run in the second, but Herring doubled in the fourth for the Lions. Lefevre singled him in and scored on Waggoner’s sac fly.
Read singled in the final run in the fifth.
At Haskell, Waggoner pitched four solid innings, striking out six, and drove in three runs.
After spotting the Indians an early 2-0 lead, Albany tied it on Cooper Fairchild’s two-run single in the second and took the lead on Read’s sacrifice fly in the third. The Lions broke the game open with seven runs in the fourth and added six more in the sixth.
Waggoner and Cole Chapman, who pitched the final two innings, were both 2 for 4 with a double. Cason Fairchild, who drove in two runs, and Tyler Chapman, who drove in three, were also 2 for 4. Ivy singled in two runs, and Herring had an RBI hit.
On the mound, Waggoner allowed two unearned runs on three hits and a walk. Cole Chapman struck out four while giving up four runs on four hits and three walks.
Waggoner was the fourth pitcher to start a district game for Albany, allowing the Lions to set up the rotation for the stretch run.
“We’ve got to get our pitchers out there and look at them,” David Fairchild said. “Once we get in a series, I’ve got to be able to count on three or four guys.”
Junior Varsity
The Albany JV team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 6-5 to Stamford.
Albany (3-1) did not play Friday as Haskell is not fielding a JV this season.
Against the Bulldogs, Tyler Chapman and Adam Hill both did well on the mound, according to David Fairchild. Offensively, Will LeMay, Lanxton Viertel, and Brody Brown each had a single.
ALBANY 8, STAMFORD 2
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
STAMFORD 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2/6/1
ALBANY 5 0 0 2 1 0 x 8/11/3
atbat runs hits RBI
Lefevre 2b 4 1 2 1
CoFairchild cf 3 1 1 0
Waggoner 1b 3 1 1 2
CChapman ss 4 1 1 1
CaFairchild 3b 3 2 2 0
Ivy lf 1 0 0 0
Read p 3 0 2 2
Russell cr o 1 0 0
Herring c 3 1 1 1
Hill cr 0 0 0 0
TChapman rf 3 0 1 1
Totals 27 8 11 8
2B – Waggoner, Herring. SF – Waggoner. SB – Lefevre 2, Russell, CoFairchild, Hill. CS – TChapman.
IP H R ER BB SO
Read 7 6 2 1 1 5
ALBANY 16, HASKELL 6
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
ALBANY 0 2 1 7 0 6 x 16/12/3
HASKELL 2 0 0 0 2 2 x 6/7/4
atbat runs hits RBI
Lefevre 2b 5 1 0 0
CoFairchild cf 3 2 1 2
Waggoner 1b 4 1 2 3
Russell cr 0 1 0 0
CChapman p 4 2 2 0
CaFairchild 3b 4 1 2 2
Ivy lf 3 2 1 2
Read ss 3 2 1 1
Herring c 3 0 1 1
Hill cr 0 2 0 0
TChapman rf 4 2 2 3
Totals 33 16 12 14
2B – Waggoner, CChapman. HBP – CChapman, Ivy. SF – Read.SB – CoFairchild 2, Russell, CChapman 2, CaFairchild, Ivy, Read 2, Hill, TChapman 2.
IP H R ER BB SO
Waggoner 4 3 2 0 1 6
CChapman 2 4 4 3 3 4
WP – Waggoner, CChapman 2. PB – Herring. HBP – Waggoner 2.
DISTRICT 8-2A STANDINGS
Through April 15
Overall District
W L W L
*Anson 17 1 7 0
*Albany 11 3 6 1
Hawley 13 8 4 3
Cisco 4 11 2 5
Stamford 5 8 2 5
Haskell 3 9 0 7
*clinched playoff berth
