Fairhope, Daphne split, stage set for Game 3

Saturday, April 25, 2009
By DANIEL BOYETTE
Sports Reporter

DAPHNE — In a series featuring explosive offenses and dominating pitchers, defense proved to be the difference as No. 2-ranked Fairhope and sixth-ranked Daphne split their 6A second-round playoff series Friday night.

The Trojans (27-10) won the opener 1-0 with the lone run coming on an error. The Pirates (31-9) took advantage of three Daphne errors during a five-run second inning en route to a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.

The decisive game will be played at noon today. Fairhope will send Peyton Fuller (4-0) to the hill while the Trojans counter with Jake Maske (4-2).

"The first game, we played flawlessly," said Daphne coach Joe Hutchins. "We got a great effort on the mound and it didn't take much. They made a mistake, we got a run and that's really all Mason (Hutchins) needed. The second game, shoot, that one inning ... giving them five runs that one inning was a little too much to come back."

Hutchins (7-0), a senior, needed only 56 pitches to complete a three-hit shutout in the 65-minute opener.

The Trojans' Connor Reese drew a two-out walk in the fourth and later scored when Fairhope's Will Hall mishandled Eric Britain's single to center field.

Daryl Norris (8-2) took the loss, fanning six and walking one in six innings. He gave up just two hits, both to Britain.

"We hit some balls at them and hit way too many balls in the air," Fairhope coach Stu Fuller said of the opener. "I thought we did better the second ballgame. They made a couple of mistakes that extended that inning; that hurt them. I was proud of our kids for battling back."

FHS sent nine batters to the plate during the five-run second inning in the nightcap. The Pirates got two runs directly on errors while Hall and Dusty Baker drove in runs with singles and Wes Kent brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.

Daphne scored three runs in the fifth, the first two coming on Brandon Peterson's triple down the right-field line. Fairhope starter Ashton Johnson was pulled later in the inning for Cody Ethridge, who gave up an RBI single to Jordan Blanchette.

Johnson (5-3) allowed three runs on three hits. Ethridge threw the final three innings, fanning four and allowing two hits to record his fourth save. Reese (7-4) went the distance for the Trojans, allowing seven hits.