WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central baseball faced elimination last Thursday following a loss to Landrum High School on Tuesday in the 2A SCHSL state playoffs.
The Griffins hosted Pelion in an elimination game on Thursday. The Panthers dashed the Griffins’ hopes of advancing in the playoffs with a 10-5 final.
Rylan Woodard took the mound for Fairfield to start the game. He walked the leadoff batter, then got a quick two outs from a fielder’s choice and a strikeout. Another walk put runners on first and second. A Pelion single loaded the bases, but a Woodard strikeout ended the frame.
Blake Gambrell reached base on a fielding error by the Pelion shortstop. A Kaden Diggs single to right field scored Gambrell, and Fairfield took a 1-0 lead. Diggs advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, then stole third and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Woodard.
Fairfield’s 2-0 lead did not last long. Pelion’s bats heated up in the top of the second. They led off with two doubles and two singles to knot the game 2-2. A sacrifice fly put them ahead 3-2 before Fairfield batted again.
The Griffins remained scoreless through the third inning. Pelion added four more runs in the top of the fourth from two singles, a pair of walks, and a Griffin fielding error.
Fairfield worked to close the gap in the bottom of the fourth, but managed only two runs.
Woodard’s lead-off triple put him in quick scoring position. Three pitches later, Woodard scored on a Tyon Belton bunt to first. Belton was caught stealing second, but Erdreus Walker reached base on a dropped third strike and advanced to second on a catcher error. Brenton Mack singled to advance Walker, who scored on a Pelion fielding error. Fairfield trailed 7-4 at the end of the inning.
Pelion added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Two more walks and three singles put them ahead 10-4 with one at-bat left for Fairfield.
Pones Jones reached base on a fielding error to lead off the inning. Gambrell singled with one out and advanced to second on a single off Diggs’ bat. Jonathan Warren grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Jones but resulting in an out at second. With runners on first and third, Warren advanced on a wild pitch. Woodard drew a walk to load the bases, but a ground out ended the game with the runners stranded.
Woodard took the loss on the mound. He faced 20 batters in three innings. He allowed seven hits, six runs (2 earned), walked two and struck out four. Diggs pitched four innings. He faced 23 batters, struck out seven and walked six. He allowed four hits and four runs.
The loss dropped Fairfield (14-5) from playoff contention. Pelion advanced to the next round to be eliminated by Landrum. Landrum lost to Mid-Carolina, who will play Strom-Thurmond in the Upper State semi-finals.
PELION – 0-3-0-4-0-0-3 – 10, 11, 5
FAIRFIELD – 2-0-0-2-0-0-1 – 5, 7, 3
WP: Bessinger
FC: Woodard 1-3, 3B, RBI. Diggs 2-4, RBI. Mack 2-2. Warren RBI. Belton 1-4. Gambrell 1-4.