Lions win district title
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions clinched the District 8-2A baseball championship, extending their winning streak to nine games.
The Lions (16-2 overall, 8-1 district) will face either Miles or Coleman, who split their District 7-2A meetings, next week in the bi-district round of the playoffs. District 7-2A playoff seeds won’t be finalized until the district concludes its schedule Friday, April 28.
Albany assured itself of a share of the district title Friday, April 21, with a 13-1 victory. The Lions then clinched the title outright on Tuesday, April 25, with a 10-0 win over Cisco on senior night. Details will be reported next week.
Albany entered Tuesday with a one-game lead over Hawley, which hosted Anson, and a three-game advantage over Stamford, which hosted last-place Haskell. On Friday, Anson defeated Cisco to secure the fourth playoff berth.
Before Friday’s game, Albany kindergarten student Adelyn Kirby threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The Lions wasted little time in taking command, sending 16 batters to the plate during an 11-run first inning.
After throwing a five-inning no-hitter at Stamford on March 31, Tyler Chapman pitched four innings of one-hit ball in the rematch. The junior overcame a bout of wildness that saw him issue three walks, hit three batters, and throw three wild pitches, but he held the Bulldogs to one unearned run. He struck out six.
Tyler Chapman faced base runners in every inning, starting the game with a walk and loading the bases in the second after hitting two batters. Stamford broke up the no-hitter with a one-out double in the fourth. The run scored on a two-out error.
Cole Chapman worked one inning, allowing a hit and a walk with one strikeout.
Albany took advantage of nine walks, eight of which came in the first inning with seven scoring.
The Lions led 3-0 with just one hit before Keatin Russell singled in two runs and Calhan Fairchild added an RBI single. Tyler Chapman delivered the big blow with a bases-loaded double to make it 10-0, and Cole Read added a scrifice fly the second time through the order.
Calhan Fairchild, batting ninth, finished 3 for 3 and stole two bases. Tyler Chapman was 2 for 4, and Russell was 2 for 3. Zane Waggoner and Read each had a hit.
Every spot in the lineup except for the leadoff spot drove in a run. Leadoff batter Cason Fairchild walked and scored three times.
Albany added two runs in the fourth with both scoring on Stamford errors.
Junior Varsity
The JV defeated Stamford 3-2 as Woods Peterson delivered a walkoff single to drive in the winning run.
Landon Picquet also had a hit for Albany.
“Brody Oliver, Will LeMay and Landon Picquet did a good job on the mound,” David Fairchild said.
ALBANY 13, STAMFORD 1
SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E
STAMFORD 0 0 0 1 0 x x 1/2/2
ALBANY 11 0 0 2 0 0 0 13/9/1
atbat runs hits RBI
CsFairchild ss 1 3 0 0
CChapman p 2 2 0 1
TChapman 3b 4 2 2 3
Waggoner 1b 3 1 1 1
Lefevre 2b 1 1 0 1
Read c 2 0 1 1
LeMay cr 0 0 0 0
Price cf 2 1 0 1
Russell dh 3 1 2 2
Hill rf 0 0 0 0
ClFairchild lf 3 2 3 1
Totals 21 13 9 11
2B – TChapman. SF – Read. SB – Waggoner, CFairchild 2.
IP H R ER BB SO
TChapman 4 1 1 0 3 6
CChapman 1 1 0 0 1 1
WP – TChapman 3. HBP – TChapman 3.
