WINNSBORO — Fairfield Central’s Landon Morgan put on a two-way clinic Tuesday, guiding the Griffins to a 4-3 extra-inning win over Eau Claire.
The win moves Fairfield Central to 4-14 on the season and serves as redemption after a difficult shutout loss late last week.
Morgan went the distance, throwing all eight innings to earn the win. The right-hander surrendered only five hits and one earned run while silencing the Eau Claire bats with nine strikeouts and just one walk.
Morgan was equally effective at the plate, going 3-for-3 to jumpstart the Griffin offense.
The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Griffins trailing 3-2 as they entered the bottom of the seventh inning.
Backs against the wall, Jayshawn Worthy provided the heroics, lining a clutch single down the right-field line to drive in the tying run and force the contest into extra innings. The Griffins got the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to cap the comeback.
Logan Watkins anchored the middle of the order with two RBIs, while Worthy and Dax Lewis each finished with multi-hit games. Worthy also led the team with two stolen bases.
The extra-inning thriller provided a much-needed shift in momentum for Fairfield Central after a 15-0 loss to Mid-Carolina on April 25.
In that Friday night contest, the Griffins’ bats were held hitless by Mid-Carolina starter Jaycob Odom, who struck out five over three innings. Defensive miscues hurt the Griffins, who committed five errors in the field.
Mason Jackson-Nellums took the loss, surrendering 12 runs, though only six were earned. He allowed five hits and struck out two in three innings of work.