FAIRVIEW, Ala. – The Aggies took game one of their area series with Hayden 8-0 on the road Wednesday and they returned home to Mark Moore Field Friday night with a chance to win the series and clinch a postseason berth. The Aggies dropped a back-and-forth game one 4-3 but bounced back to win game two in dramatic fashion 5-4 and secure a playoff spot.
Hayden 4 – Fairview 3 (Game One)
Nicolas Gregory led off the bottom of the first with a triple deep into center field and he scored on an RBI groundout from Isaac Elrod later in the inning to put Fairview in front 1-0. After a scoreless second and third inning, Hayden strung some hits together in the top of the fourth and put a pair of runs on the board to take a 2-1 lead. The Aggies answered in the bottom half of the inning. Elrod reached first with a leadoff single and after stealing second a couple of pitches later, he moved over to third on a wild pitch and Bryceson Turner drove him in with a sac fly to tie the game at 2.
The Wildcats scored in the top of the fifth to retake a 3-2 lead, but Fairview responded in the bottom half of the inning. Gannon Black knocked an RBI single into left field to tie the game at 3 going into the sixth. After a scoreless sixth inning, Hayden played one more run in the top of the seventh to move back in front 4-3 and the Aggies were unable to answer in the final frame.
Black and Elrod each posted a hit and an RBI in the loss. Gregory, Lucas West and Connor Scott added hits as well.
Fairview 5 – Hayden 4 (Game Two)
After a scoreless first inning, Hayden scored on a fielder’s choice to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. An error allowed the Wildcats to stretch their lead to 2-0 in the top of the third, but the Aggies got the run back in the bottom of the third when Connor Scott drove in Jaxon Robertson with an RBI single to make it 2-1.
Neither team was able to get on the board in the fourth or fifth, but Fairview’s bats came alive in the sixth. Back to back singles from Barett York and Colton Jennings gave the Aggies a pair of runners and an error allowed York to score later in the inning and tie the game at 2. Two pitches later, Gannon Black barreled up a single to right field to drive in two more runs and give Fairview a 4-2 lead.
The Wildcats wouldn’t go away. They scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4 but the Aggies had one more answer in them in the bottom of the seventh. Caden Barrett led off with a single and Lincoln Wright laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Barrett advanced to third on a fielder’s choice a few pitches later and that’s when Isaac Elrod sent a sacrifice fly deep into right field and pushed Barrett across the plate to secure a 5-4 win for Fairview.
Scott finished with a pair of hits and an RBI in the win. Black (one hit), Lucas West and Elrod added RBIs as well.
The Aggies will be back at Mark Moore Field Tuesday for game one of their area series with Springville.
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