By JORDAN RHYM – Junior Copy Editor
The Gladiators finish off the season with a 4-3 win against Lanier after a long, 12-inning game. The team also recognized seniors Noah Fairbairn, Trip Thompson and Garrett Holland.
On April 20, the Clarke Central High School baseball team played against Lanier High School at home for their Senior Night and final regular season game of the year.
CCHS had lost to Lanier 1-3 in an away game two days prior to their final game. According to head varsity baseball coach Trey Henson, there were expectations of the second game to also be close.
“I knew it was going to be a close game. They had their number one going against our number one, so I figured it would be a 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 4-3, something like that,” Henson said.
The game began slowly with a 0-0 tie during the first two innings. During the third inning, Lanier picked up their pace and scored three runs.
“During the game, I felt confident with my (pitching, but) after they had the big inning in the third, I told myself they weren’t gonna score again. I went out there and played every inning like it was my last and it helped keep me going,” pitcher Noah Fairbairn, a senior, said.
In the fourth inning, CCHS put two runs on the scoreboard. It wasn’t until the sixth inning that they closed the score gap to tie with LHS.
“We put ourselves in positions to win. Like there were three or four innings and (we) just didn’t get that big hit. Finally, finally we got a little bit of a break and got a run in,” Henson said.
The game remained tied for eight-consecutive innings. In the 12th and final inning of the game, the bases were loaded with junior Cole Melancon, who was hit by a pitch while at bat resulting in a force walk, and sophomore Ben Gillespie and senior Trip Thompson who had also been walked by the Lanier pitcher, junior Nicholas Tanner. With one final walk, junior Jeccorah Arnold pushed Melancon to home ending the game with the Gladiators winning 4-3.
“Honestly, I was expecting us to be down and then win, but it turned out great,” senior Trip Thompson said. “(It was a) great last game. Couldn’t want it any other way.”
With the conclusion of this game, seniors Garrett Holland, Thompson and Fairbairn all finished their final seasons of CCHS baseball with a win.
“It was pretty emotional at first when I came to realize it was my last time in a Central uniform. But once we got started warming up and getting game time ready, it felt like every other game,” Fairbairn said.
According to Fairbairn who is going on to play collegiate baseball at Augusta University, the bonds he has formed with the baseball community at CCHS is what he will miss the most from playing at CCHS.
“(I’ll miss) the players and the parents and the atmosphere. There’s nothing like going on the field and proving yourself every game,” Fairbairn said. “It paid off for me and I’m glad I have an opportunity to continue my career in college, but I’ll miss the people most of all, everyone is a family and we look out for each other and going through the ups and downs together.”
