Fairland edges GAHS 4-3 in opener

[jottings]

Visiting Fairland handed Gallipolis Gallia Academy a heartbreaking 4-3 loss on soggy Memorial Field Tuesday evening in the 2010 baseball opener for both schools.

Gallipolis loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but Fairland southpaw hurler Alex Thatcher worked out of the jam, then went on to hurl a five hitter with 13 strikeouts for the victorious Dragons.

John Troester started for GAHS, the first of three Blue Devil pitchers. Troester went four innings and left with the score tied 1-1. Chuck Calvart took over in the fifth for Gallipolis, giving up two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. Justin Bailey hurled the seventh and final frame for GAHS. Calvart was charged with the loss.

Kyle Dingess was perfect at the plate for Gallipolis with a single, double, triple and a walk. Dingess had a two-base RBI in the third and a RBI triple in the fifth inning. Fairland walked Dingess on purpose in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Russell Dennison had an RBI single in the sixth inning to cut Fairland’s lead to 4-3.

After Bailey blanked Fairland in the top of the seventh, Caleb Warnimont led off the bottom of the seventh with a sharp single down the third base line. However, Warnimont was thrown out at second base when he tried to stretch the hit into a double. After walking Dingess, Thatcher retired the final two GAHS batters in the non-league contest.

Gallipolis will return to action with another non-league game against Meigs on Wednesday, beginning at 5 p.m. The Blue Devils open Southeastern Ohio League play at Jackson on Saturday, April 3, at 12 noon.

Score by innings:
Fairland…….010 021 0 -- 4
Gallipolis……001 011 0 -- 3
Troester, Calvart 5th (lp), and Bailey, 7th.

[sonny]

Great report but the pitcher for Fairland is Thackston. Fairland played well but the night belonged to pitcher Alex Thackston. The sophomore pitched a gem. The kid was ice on the mound. He has a bright future and he faced a very good ballclub.

[jottings]

Warren Local's boys and girls will play at Gallipolis on Thursday at 5 p.m., in a pair of makeup non-league baseball and softball games.

[mhs95_06]

That is a shame, to walk a hitter intentionally with no one on, especially this early in the season.

[theassassin]

That is a shame, to walk a hitter intentionally with no one on, especially this early in the season.

when you're up 1 run in bottom of seventh, the hitter is already 3-3 at the plate, why is that a shame?

[sonny]

The kid just went 3-3 and two of them went off the fence. That is why, obviously you dont know the game. Is that why they lost the game? Fairland was preserving the win. The kid that was walked is a flat out stud!!! He is going to play div 1 ball. I wish him the best because he was a class act, like the rest of gallia's team.

[playhard]

MHS,you can't be serious.first off,the dingess kid is an absolute beast.he was already 3-3.they pitched to him to a 3-0 count,then intentionally walked him.let's see,the thackston kid works his butt off for 6 2/3 innings and gives up a home run to tie the game or walk him because the next kid had struggled in previous at bats?does this mean a football team should not take a knee or a basketball team should not hold the ball in final minutes/seconds of a game with a small lead?

[mhs95_06]

You are putting the tying run on base! There is no penalty for a wild pitch. The batter may think he is the only chance and try to hit pitches way out of the zone. Don't announce that you are going to walk him by the catcher signalling for the intentional walk. Throw another unannounced pitch out of the strike zone and maybe you'll get a swing and a miss, and then maybe again, and then maybe again. But just don't let him get a free pass, even on one pitch!

[sonny]

Again mhs, you dont get it!! The kid went to the fence twice.There were two outs and the next two kids hadnt touched Thackston. Wow, you just dont get it!! My dad used to say "if you dont know what you are talking about then shut up." How about saying Thackston pitched a hell of a game and we lost to a better team? That is what baseball is about. Hopefully you have learned a little about the game.

[blaze275]

Yea I am a Gallia fan and i know that kid real well if you know what I mean.Fairlands coach made the right call. Thats just knowing how to play the game.Good game Fairland.

[mhs95_06]

A wild pitch and a blooper and you have a tie game with a walk. Why not use every one of the four pitches to try to get him to swing at a bad pitch, and not give up after three.

[blaze275]

ole #7 very seldom goes after bad pitches!

[sonny]

Give it up mhs, you havent got a clue!!!

[mhs95_06]

ole #7 very seldom goes after bad pitches!

So what! The fake to 3rd and look to 1st play seldom works with runners on 1st and 3rd, but they keep doing it, and once in a blue moon it works. What does it cost to try?

[blaze275]

Read the GAHS vs PT Pleasant review and you will see why Fairland walked him!