WINNSBORO – The Griffins suffered a 0-11 loss to Palmetto in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs, and were left with a win or go home game Thursday against the Broome Centurions. After a thrilling seven innings and a near 10-run comeback for the Griffins, Broome escaped with a 13-11 win.
The Centurions struck first in the top of the second inning. Fairfield surrendered three walks in the first four at bats to open the frame, and Ashton Thrett knocked in the first scores of the game with a two RBI-double.
Dakota Carver followed Thrett’s at bat and blasted a ground-ball past the third basemen to push the Broome lead to 3-0. Carver achieved the rare feat of swiping home-plate for their last run of the inning.
The scoreboard remained still until the bottom of the fifth, and when the Griffins mounted an offensive strike. An error in left field enabled the Griffins’ leadoff man to safely reach first base, then he reached second after Taylor Truesdale drew a walk.
Chazzi Jones came up clutch with a two-out single to left field that plated Chris Simmons. Then, Montavious Thompson doubled and cleared the path for Truesdale and Jones to reach home safely.
Broome’s response to the Griffins’ rally came in the top of the sixth, and it left the Griffins buried in a 10-run hole. Fairfield recorded two easy outs to lead off the second inning, but then they face eight batters before they get the third.
The biggest highlight of the inning was a base clearing grand-slam off the bat of Carver. R Brown, A Greene and J.Gilliam also picked up RBIs in the offensive outpouring.
Fairfield was down big but not out. They got one of their runs back in bottom of the sixth when Taylor Truesdale hit a ground-ball to just right place to score Antonio Jackson. Jacob McManus got the Griffins off to a hot start in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff triple.
Truesdale scored a Griffin from third with a double to right field, and then Chazzi Jones trimmed the lead to seven with an RBI-single to left. The Centurions committed three consecutive errors after the Jones at bat and two runs crossed home.
Simmons came to the plate with two outs, two on and his team down by five. He delivered the biggest Griffin at-bat of the day in the form of a three-run homer to right field. Broome pitcher Rylan silenced the rally with a third out strike out.
FCHS:0-0-0-0-3-1-7- 11
BHS:0-4-0-0-0-9-0 –13
Pitching: FCHS – Chris Simmons (L), 2.0 IP, 4R, 4ER, 2H, 1K, 3BB. Antonio Jackson, 5IP, 9R, 3ER, 8H, 3BB. BHS – Brandon McKinney (W), 3IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 6K. Brock Johnson, 2IP, 3R, 0ER, 3H, 2K, 1BB. John-Mark Petit , 1.1IP, 7R, 1ER, 4H, 1K. Rylan Brown, 0.2IP, 1R, 1ER, 1H,2K.
Hitting: 1B -Chazzi Jones (2), Montavious Thompson, Harvey Smith, Melvin Peay (FCHS).Dakota Carver, Ethan Crump, Rylan Brown (2) (BHS).2B -Montavious Thompson, Taylor Truesdale. (FCHS).Chase Ward, Jordan Gillam Luke Escalante, Ahston Threatt, Andrew Greene (BHS). 3B – Jacob McManus (FCHS). HR – Chris Simmons (FCHS). Dakota Carver (BHS).
