Lions move up to regional semifinal
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions passed their toughest test of the postseason so far, overcoming an eight-run deficit in Game 2 to complete a sweep of their Class 2A regional quarterfinal baseball series against Coleman at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field.
The Lions (19-4) pulled away to win Game 1, played Friday, May 20 with a score of 7-1 after being tied 1-1 in the fourth inning. In Game 2, played Saturday, May 21, Albany won 14-12 in eight innings after trailing 11-3 in the third inning.
Albany coach David Fairchild said that the Game 2 comeback was unlike any he’s ever been involved in.
“I couldn’t ask for a better way to finish a game,” he said. “The kids never got down; they just kept fighting and plugging along. It’s hard to overcome giving up an eight-run inning, but we found a way to do it.”
Albany will play Clarendon in the regional semifinals at Lubbock Christian University’s Hays Field. Game 1 is set for 7:00 p.m. Thursday with Game 2 at 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Game 3, if necessary, will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2.
The winner of the series will advance to take on the winner between Anson and New Home for a berth in the state tournament.
In the series opener against Coleman, Cole Chapman pitched a complete-game two-hitter, striking out eight. Offensively, he went 2 for 4, including an inside-the-park home run, and scored three runs.
Albany took the lead for good in the fourth when Cole Read reached on an error that allowed Chapman to score, and Tyler Chapman added an RBI single.
After Cole Chapman’s homer in the fifth made it 4-1, Tyler Chapman, Cooper Fairchild, and Zane Waggoner drove in runs in the sixth.
Coy Lefevre, Cooper Fairchild, Waggoner, Cason Fairchild, Read, and Tyler Chapman each had one hit.
“Overall, it was a good game,” the coach said.
Game 2 started out well with the Lions jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but Coleman pulled even with two runs in the second.
Then came the nightmare third inning.
The Bluecats sent 14 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on just two hits as Albany pitchers issued five walks and hit three batters.
Coleman finished the game with just five hits, but made use of 12 walks, five hit batters, six wild pitches, and two passed balls.
“We didn’t have the best start on the mound,” David Fairchild said, “And we played sloppy there for two or three innings. Nobody could throw strikes.”
Read, who started, failed to record an out in the third and was lifted after Coleman took a 5-3 lead. Cooper Fairchild then walked four of the five batters he faced. Waggoner came on with one out and allowed three inherited runners to score before things settled down.
But that was pretty much all the offense Coleman would produce. The Bluecats were held hitless the rest of the way and the Lions scored 10 runs in the last three innings.
Waggoner worked two innings, striking out four, before Caden Price went 3.1 innings with six strikeouts to earn the win.
“Waggoner and Price did a good job on the mound,” David Fairchild said. “I’m proud of how our kids fought and battled and found a way to come away with the win.”
Waggoner and Cooper Fairchild were also noted for their defensive efforts at first base and center field, respectively, in helping shut down the Bluecats.
The Lions got a run back in the fourth when Read and Price delivered back-to-back doubles, but the comeback started in earnest in the sixth as Coleman starter Ryland Gentry reached his pitch limit. Tyler Chapman singled in a run, then Coy Lefevre followed with a two-run single and scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 11-8.
In the seventh, Read drove in a run with a ground out, Bryson Herring had an RBI single and Cooper Fairchild tied it with a two-out RBI single.
The Lions got over the hump in the eighth. Waggoner led off with a double, Cole Chapman walked, and Cason Fairchild bunted the runners over. Waggoner scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, then Chapman and Price, who had walked, both scored on another wild pitch.
There were still some tense moments to get through in the bottom of the eighth as Price issued three walks and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. Cole Chapman, who threw 94 pitches Friday, came on and issued another walk to put the winning run on base before recording the final out to get the save.
The coach admitted pitching would have been a worry had the Lions not pulled out the Game 2 victory after using five arms.
“We went ahead and threw everybody in Game 2,” he said. “If we’d gone to Game 3, we would have been piecing it together like a puzzle. We gambled, and it paid off this time.”
Lefevre, Cooper Fairchild, Waggoner, and Price each finished with two hits with Waggoner doubling twice. Read, Tyler Chapman, and Herring each had one hit. Seven Albany batters drove in runs.
GAME 1
ALBANY 7, COLEMAN 1
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
COLEMAN 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1/2/4
ALBANY 0 1 0 2 1 3 X 7/8/2
atbat runs hits RBI
Lefevre 2b 3 1 1 0
CoFairchild cf 4 0 1 1
Waggoner 1b 4 0 1 1
CChapman p 4 3 2 1
CaFairchild 3b 2 1 1 0
Price rf 2 0 0 0
Read ss 3 1 1 1
Ivy lf 3 1 0 0
TChapman dh 3 0 1 2
Totals 28 7 8 6
HR – CChapman. HBP – Lefevre, CaFairchild. SB – CChapman, Price, Read.
CS – Lefevre.
IP H R ER BB SO
CChapman 7 2 1 1 2 8
GAME 2
ALBANY 14, COLEMAN 12
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R/H/E
ALBANY 3 0 0 1 0 4 3 3 14/11/2
COLEMAN 1 2 8 0 0 0 0 1 12/5/3
atbat runs hits RBI
Lefevre 2b 5 2 2 2
CoFairchild cf 4 0 2 1
Waggoner 1b 3 2 2 1
CChapman p 4 1 0 0
CaFairchild 3b 2 3 0 0
Price rf 3 3 2 1
Read ss 5 1 1 2
TChapman dh 3 1 1 1
Hill pr 0 1 0 0
Herring c 5 0 1 1
Totals 34 14 11 9
2B – Waggoner 2, Price, Read. HBP – CaFairchild, TChapman. S – CaFairchild. SB – Lefevre 2, CoFairchild, CaFairchild, Price. CS – Price.
IP H R ER BB SO
Read 2 4 7 5 2 1
CoFairchild 0.1 0 4 4 4 1
Waggoner 2 1 0 0 1 4
Price 3.1 0 1 1 4 6
CChapman 0.1 0 0 0 1 0
WP – Read, Waggoner, Price 4. PB – Herring 2. HBP – Read 2, Waggoner 3.
