Trojan softball suffers three straight losses, two ranked opponents

Fairfield defeated by No. 12 (3A) Albia, Ottumwa and No. 5 (3A) Davenport Assumption

The Fairfield softball team faced perhaps its toughest stretch of the season last week with four games, three of which were against teams ranked by the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union.

Two of those teams finished in the top five.

After losing 4-2 to Class 2A No. 4 Cardinal (24-7) on Monday, the Trojans followed with games against No. 12 (3A) Albia (18-9), Ottumwa and No. 5 (3A) Davenport Assumption (22-12-1).

The Trojans were defeated in all three games, losing to Albia 10-0, Ottumwa 3-2 and Assumption 10-1.

Against Albia, the Trojans gave up runs in all but one inning on Wednesday.

The Lady Dees led 4-0 after three innings and scored four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to end it.

Faith Jones and Leah Helmick both had hits for Fairfield in the loss.

The Trojans’ next two losses came on Saturday.

In the game against Ottumwa, the Trojans fell 2-0 early, as the Bulldogs scored one run in both the first and second innings.

Ottumwa, however, would not score again for four innings. Meanwhile, it took the Trojans six innings to score a run, but it came at the right time.

In the seventh inning, with the game on the line, Olivia Hollander and Vanessa Kessel both managed to cross home plate and keep the game alive.

However, it was all for naught as the Bulldogs secured the victory with a walk-off in the final inning.

Leah Helmick led Fairfield 3-for-4 in the loss. Laney Norris went 2-for-3. Savannah Hollander, Faith Jones, Olivia Hollander, Lilly Bergren and Emmelia Miller all had one hit.

Against the Knights of Assumption, the Trojans found themselves with a significant deficit in the first three innings.

Assumption rattled off six runs in the first three innings. The Trojans got one back in the fourth from a run scored by Leah Helmick, but the damage could not be averted.

The Knights closed the game with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Helmick led Fairfield with a pair of hits and a run. Savannah Hollander, Olivia Hollander, Lilly Bergren and Emmelia Miller all had one hit in the loss.

The three losses drop Fairfield to 9-25. They will face Knoxville (10-12) on Tuesday, then open Class 3A Region 3 play in a rematch with Albia on Thursday.