FAIRFIELD — Jillian Huey was simply happy to get on the softball diamond — and so were the Fairfield Indians.
Huey connected on a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to break things open as Fairfield cruised to a 12-2 run-rule victory over Butler County foe Ross on Saturday afternoon.
Few teams have seen much time on the field this past week due to the amount of rain that was dumped, and Fairfield’s last game was a 12-1 win over Seton on Tuesday.
“It was pouring all week. We weren’t able to get on our field,” said Huey, a senior shortstop who bats leadoff. “Our warmups were kind of rough. They weren’t the best, so I was a little bit scared.
“We got out there. We started off slow, of course. Then we hit the ball really well. This was one of the best hitting games we’ve had. We just need to rise to the occasion and keep going on the same track.”
Fairfield (6-2) has won three of its last four and outscored opponents 72-10 this season.
“It’s been hard to shoot on all cylinders,” Indians coach Brenda Stieger said regarding the weather. “You wonder if everybody’s going to be on their toes or if everybody’s going to be ready to go. It’s play, and then sit. Play, and then sit.”
Fairfield celebrated the program’s 800th victory with the win against Seton. Since 1979, over 500 players and only four head coaches have helped Indians softball reach the milestone.
“It’s awesome, right?” Stieger said. “We were hoping it was against another team.”
The Indians could have done it last Saturday, but they fell to Greater Miami Conference leader Hamilton in a grueling 3-1 battle at home.
“That was really rough for us — the whole team, the seniors,” Huey said. “Our heads were dropped. We kind of lost hope for GMC champs for a second. I talked to the team. We had a couple talks. We were just thinking that we still have a chance, and that we needed to just come back.”
Fairfield’s momentum has started.
Ross grabbed a run in the top of the first when Kam Commins singled in Joslyn Crowley. The Indians took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half and never looked back.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t come out here and play today, and it showed,” Rams coach Christi Luckett said. “They definitely hit the ball better than we did. I feel like we should have been more aggressive at the plate, and we were not. That’s what happens when you don’t come out here and give it everything that you’ve got.”
Huey broke things open with her two-run shot in the third. She finished 3 for 4 with three runs and four RBIs.
“I felt it off my bat,” Huey said. “I said, ‘This is it. We’re only going up from here.’ We just kept cranking balls. It was really good.”
“She has that ability. That’s why she’s been our leadoff gal,” Steiger added of Huey. “She’s the one that had the leadoff home run against Hamilton, too. The way we can flip our order, with her younger sister (Adelyn) down at the bottom who’s having a great year, too.”
Karley Clark went 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI for Fairfield. Megan Spence tossed a complete game giving up two runs, striking out four and walking just two.
Steiger said it was good for her Indians to get back on the field and that she was thankful for the time the FHS grounds crew put into making the diamond playable for Saturday.
“I had my doubts last night about us playing,” Stieger said. “When you can’t get on your own field, face live pitchers, and have to get into a cage, it’s just not the same. It’s just not the same feel.”
Commins finished 2 for 3 with an RBI for Ross, while Wallace added two hits. Rams freshmen pitchers Paige Baker and Taylor Bertram saw the circle.
“The strike zone was a little suspect. However, we still have to get it done,” Luckett said. “Our pitchers are out there working hard. They’re doing what they can do. We’ve just got to have their back. That’s what we tell them every time. If it starts to get a little hairy or they start to get in trouble, they just have to throw their pitch. Their defense will have them. Just today, we didn’t.”
Ross (5-2) had its three-game winning streak snapped and enters Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division play this week.
“I do see growth every single game,” Luckett said. “I see more maturity happening on the field and at the plate. We take that game by game. They are young, but they work hard. We’re just going to continue to push that. They’ll get there.
“Right now, we’re ebbing and flowing with what’s going on. As soon as we can make it so that they just come together, it’s going to be fun to watch. We’ve just got to get there.”
UP NEXT
Ross visits Edgewood on Sunday, while Fairfield travels to Princeton on Monday.
