WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central’s baseball team returned from Spring Break with a big region win over Keenan on Tuesday. The Griffins downed the Raiders 11-1 in just five innings.
Kaden Diggs got the start on the mound for Fairfeld and seated the first three batters in the Keenan lineup.
Curtis Sampson was hit by a pitch to lead off things for the Griffins in the bottom of the first. Nygel Woodard singled on a bunt back to the pitcher, which put Sampson on third. Woodard took second, then Blake Gambrell singled to left to score two. Jonathan Warren followed with a triple to right field to score Gambrell. Graeme Douglas doubled to center to score Warren. Fairfield led 4-0 with no outs.
Diggs was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Douglas was picked off at second, giving Fairfield their first out of the inning. Diggs stole second, third and then home before Tyon Belton was also hit by a pitch.
Yohance Harrison singled to left and was thrown out advancing to second, but Belton scored. Rylan Woodard singled to center but was stranded by a third out fly ball to center.
With Fairfield up 6-0 with only one inning under their belts, Keenan looked to respond. The Raiders led off with a single to left. A double to center followed, but a Keenan runner was tagged out at home. Diggs struck out the next two batters to strand a runner on second and end the frame.
Blake Gambrell singled in the bottom of the second, but the Griffins weren’t able to capitalize. Keenan managed to get out of the inning without any more runs.
The Raiders loaded the bases early in the top of the third with no outs, but Diggs struck out the next batter and a double play stifled Keenan’s hopes of plating a run.
Both teams remained quiet through the top of the fourth.
Rylan Woodard’s leadoff triple ignited the Griffin offense in the bottom of the fourth. Sampson singled to score Woodard, then stole second and third. Nygel Woodard’s RBI single to left and Gambrell’s fielder’s choice to score Woodard put Fairfield up 9-0. Warren and Diggs both reached base on Keenan fielding errors, but a strikeout and ground out ended the inning.
Sampson took the mound in the fifth for the Griffins. He walked the first batter, struck out the second, then walked the third. With runners on first and second, Keenan plated a run off of an error from a bunt. Sampson struck out the next batter. A Keenan runner was caught stealing to send Fairfield to the dugout.
Harrison singled to left to leadoff. Rylan Woodard followed with a walk. Sampson was out on a fly ball to center, but both runners advanced. Harrison stole home and Woodard took third. Fairfield led 10-1 with only one out. Nygel Woodard singled to left to score his brother and end the game at 11-1.
Diggs threw four innings, allowing only two hits, walking three and striking out nine. Sampson faced five batters; he walked two and struck out two.
Nygel Woodard, Gambrell, Harrison and Rylan Woodard all had multi-hit games as Fairfield picked up their ninth win of the season. The Griffins racked up 10 stolen bases in the game.
Fairfield will host Newberry on Thursday for a 7 p.m. game and then travel to Keenan on Friday.
FC 11, KHS 1
KHS – 0-0-0-0-1-X-X – 1, 2, 2
FC – 6-0-0-3-2-X-X – 11, 12, 2
WP: Diggs. LP: Charley
FC: Samspon 1-3, RBI. N Woodard 3-4, 2 RBI. Gambrell 2-3, 3 RBI. Warren 1-3, 3B, RBI. Douglas 1-2, 2B, RBI. Harrison 2-3, RBI. R Woodard 2-2, 3B.
