King fires gem, Lady Bucs shutout Fairborn, 2-0 By BLAKE HALEY
Sports Editor
bhaley@xeniagazette.com
XENIA — Good pitching can top good hitting.
Xenia’s Michelle King proved that on Thursday evening.
King was in control from start to finish and the Lady Bucs got some timely hits to come away with a 2-0 victory over rival Fairborn in GWOC South action at Xenia High School.
King kept Fairborn off balance as the junior held the Skyhawks to only hit through six innings. Fairborn mounted a mini-rally in the top of the seventh with a couple infield singles, but King got Fairborn’s Courtnie Spain to fly out to center with the bases loaded to end the game.
“This was the best game we have played all season,” Xenia manager Greg Paxson said. “This was a huge win for us. Fairborn is a good team and is a class act, from the coaches to the players, and to get a win over them is just huge.”
King finished the game by allowing only four hits, three in the final inning. She struck out four and walked only one.
“Michelle was confident and the defense made some great plays behind her,” Paxson said.
One of those great plays was an around-the-horn double play turned by Ashley McDaniel (3B), Jen George (2B) and Tara McCann (1B).
Sophie Bolser got the start for Fairborn in the circle and matched King until Xenia broke through with a run in the third. King led off with a triple and came around to score on an RBI single by George.
The Lady Bucs added an insurance run in the fifth inning when George singled and was plated by a two-out double off the bat of Katie Kieninger.
Bolser surrendered eight hits in six innings, striking out seven and not walking a batter.
For Xenia, George, Aundrea McDaniel and King all finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Kieninger and Ashley McDaniel had one hit apiece.
On Fairborn’s side, the Skyhawks managed only four hits, all singles. Bolser, Jessie Little, Chelsea Reed and Becca Davis all had one hit apiece.
Xenia’s record now stands at 6-6 overall (2-2 GWOC South), while Fairborn slips to 9-4, (2-2).
