The Fayette nine rolled past Stover, 13-1 in five innings, at home Monday night to improve their overall record above .500. The non-conference victory now puts the Falcons at 5-6 overall with a mix of nine conference and non-conference games left over the next three weeks of the regular season.

While the game was played at Fayette’s home field at Central Methodist University, the game was originally scheduled to be at Stover. The Bulldogs were therefore considered the home team and batted in the bottom of the innings.

Sophomore Eastin Fehling claimed his second win on the mound in three starts. He allowed one unearned run in the bottom of the first, a sacrifice groundout, but otherwise cruised through the next four innings, striking out 10 of 19 batters faced and issuing one walk.

“He had a great night on the mound and really did well,” said Fayette coach Andy Oeth.

At the plate, Falcon hitters teed off against three of four Stover pitchers, driving in nine of their 13 runs on 10 hits, with three hits—a double, a triple, and a home run—going for extra bases. Fayette struck out only thrice but walked eight times.

“We had a pretty good night offensively. We had a lot of improvements in other places,” said Coach Oeth.

Seven batters tallied hits, led by senior Payton Oeth, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, a game-high three RBI, and two runs scored. He was intentionally walked once. Sophomore Thad Quint recorded the team’s only other multi-hit game, driving in two runs with a single and a double in a 3-for-3 performance with two runs scored.

Batting sixth, sophomore James Hogg had one hit that went for three bases. With two outs and a runner on in the top of the fourth, the second baseman drove an 0-1 pitch to right field for an RBI triple to give Fayette an 8-1 lead.

Also collecting hits on Monday for the Falcons were junior cleanup hitter Parker LaValley (1-for-4 with a run scored), senior Ethan Bean (1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored), freshman Caleb Busker (1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored), and Fehling (1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored). Senior leadoff hitter Caleb Craig was hitless in two at-bats, but walked twice, reached on an error, and scored three runs.

Stover’s one hit came in the bottom of the third on a leadoff single by junior Jaxon Simon. But Fayette recorded the next three outs in order to strand the runner on base. The Bulldogs scored their one run of the game in the bottom of the first with one out. A Fayette error allowed leadoff hitter Simon to reach. A walk and a hit batsman later in the inning loaded the bases. A sacrifice groundout by freshman Ezekiel Zapata plated the Bulldogs’ lone run of the game.

“Stover is a young squad. But in high school baseball, you can’t overlook anybody,” said Coach Oeth. “It felt like early in the first ending we were doing that a little bit. They scored a run and took it to us. Our guys took a strong breath after that and really made sure we didn’t get beat.”

Fayette answered with four runs in the top of the second on a single by Fehling, an RBI double by Quint, and three Bulldog errors. The Falcons went ahead 5-1 in the top of the fifth on an RBI by Busker.

Fayette broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fourth after a leadoff walk to Craig was followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Quint and Oeth, the RBI triple by Hogg, and an RBI single from Busker.

The Falcons put the game out of reach with four more runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run homer by Oeth, his second in as many games.

Craig led off the inning with a walk, then stole two bases to land on third. He then scored on an error by the Stover catcher.

Quint then walked in front of Oeth. The third hitter in the lineup, Oeth, then blasted the ball over the left field fence to put the Falcons in front by double digits, 12-1.

But Fayette wasn’t done. LaValley followed the home run with a single, then was driven home on a single by Bean to put the Falcons in front 13-1.

Fehling then struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth to clinch the sixth victory of the season for the Falcons.

Fayette returned to action Tuesday night at Russellville after the Advertiser had gone to press. The Indians are currently the favorite to win the Central State 8 Conference with an 11-5 record heading into the game. The Falcons then have six days off before traveling to former Lewis & Clark Conference rival Paris on Monday.

Fayette returns to Estes Field to open a three-game home stand next Tuesday against CS8 powerhouse Tipton. The first pitch is at 5 p.m.