Play Ball

The Lion baseball team dropped the first district battle last Friday to Hawley, 3-2, waiting until the last at-bat to score.

Albany hosted the Eula Pirates Tuesday, winning 15-2 to improve to 4-1 in District 8-2A.

The Lions will be on the road Friday in Haskell, followed by a game in Hamlin next Tuesday, April 9. Both games are slated to start at 5:00 p.m.

Albany opened last week with a 16-6 win over the visiting Baird Bears.

“I felt we came out a little flat but found our game,” coach David Fairchild said. “Jackson Chapman and Cade Neve did a good job pitching, and on offense Dyer had a big night going 2-2 with a triple and a three-run home run.”

Chapman opened the game on the mound, going three and two-thirds innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out five.

Neve came in to close the final one and a third innings, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out three.

The coach also commended Chapman and Cooper Fair-child, who both hit doubles in the game, along with Blaine Kyaga with two singles and a triple.

ALBANY LIONS vs Baird

SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 R/H/E

ALBANY 2 0 3 11 x 16/10/3

Baird 0 0 3 0 3 6/9/3

INDIVIDUAL STATS

C Fairchild 1 for 2, 1 dbl, 2 RBIs

B Kayga 3 for 3, 2 sgls, 1 tpl, 2 RBIs, 4 runs

B West 0 for 3, 2 RBIs

C Neve 1 for 3, 1 sgl, 1 run

J Chapman 1 for 2, 1 dbl, 3 RBIs, 2 runs

C Morales 1 run

BJ Morris 1 for 4, 1 sgl, 2 runs

J Dyer 2 for 2, 1 tpl, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 4 runs

W Webb 1 for 1, 1 sgl, 1 run

M Balliew 0 FOR 2, 1 run

The Lions suffered their first district loss on Friday to Hawley, 3-2.

Ben West was the losing pitcher, going six innings and allowing three runs on four hits and three walks. He stuck out nine.

“I thought Ben threw a great game once he settled in against a very good Hawley team,” the coach said.

Neve closed the game pitching the seventh, allowing one hit and no runs.

The coach praised B.J. Morris at the plate with a triple.

“This was a good game,” Fairchild said. “I was proud of our kids for fighting hard and climbing back into the game with a chance to tie it up at the end.”

ALBANY LIONS vs Hawley

SCORE BY INNING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R/H/E

ALBANY 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2/6/1

Hawley 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 3/5/1

INDIVIDUAL STATS

B Kayga 1 for 4, 1 sgl

B West 1 for 3, 1 sgl, 1 run

BJ Morris 2 for 4, 1 sgl, 1 tpl, 2 RBIs

L Ivy 1 for 2, 1 sgl, 1 run

J Dyer 1 for 1, 1 sgl

JV Game

The JV players came back for a 12-11 win against Hawley after leading 11-4 going into the last inning.

Parker Henry had a three-run hit. Colby Hargett was the winning pitcher.