Fayette played possibly its best baseball game of the season on Friday, upsetting third-seeded Marceline 2-1 in the opening round of the Class 2 District 7 Tournament. The Falcons, seeded sixth, are hosting this year’s tournament at CMU’s Estes Field.

Up a run deep into the game, the Tigers led off the bottom of the sixth with a single by junior Trace Huber, who was driven home from first on a blast by sophomore Cody Lowe to right field to tie the game at 1-1. The hit came against Fayette junior Payton Oeth, who relieved starter Ethan Bean after nearly four scoreless innings.

The hit only seemed to galvanize Oeth’s focus. He induced a flyout and struck out the final batter of the inning, leaving the mound with a chance to return the favor at the plate. He wasn’t denied the opportunity. Batting fourth in the top of the seventh, he had another plate appearance thanks to junior Caleb Craig, who delivered a one-out single to all but guarantee a final at-bat for Fayette’s hits leader.

The hard-hitting righty didn’t spoil the opportunity. He drove a 1-0 pitch to the left-field wall to score Craig from second and regain the lead for the Falcons.

“Most everyone thought that ball was out. But it did the job. We know that Payton, at some point, is going to come up with a big hit. That’s what he’s done this season,” said Fayette coach Andy Oeth.

Marceline’s higher seed meant it was the home team and had a final chance to score in the bottom of the seventh. But Oeth and the Fayette defense retired the side in order to claim the district victory. The final showdown of the night was between two dominant pitchers. At the plate with two outs was Marceline starter Cody Rogers, a junior southpaw who pitched an outstanding complete game. It was his chance to help his own cause. But a hard fly ball was caught by Craig in center to end the Tigers’ season by one run.

“That kid is so talented,” said Coach Oeth about Rogers’ final at-bat. “He really was a good pitcher tonight. And he had some good at-bats.”

Coach Oeth applauded his team’s resilience in such a tight ball game. The Falcons had committed 59 errors, an average of nearly three a game, heading into Friday’s district tournament, and boasted a record of just 5-16. 

“There were so many times tonight where they could have just broken and packed it in. And they didn’t. There were so many times tonight when they overcame,” Coach Oeth said. “Baseball is full of pain and struggle. The teams that can overcome that are the teams that win ball games.”

Each team committed one error in an otherwise tight defensive game. In fact, the stat lines are nearly identical for either team. Fayette scored two runs on six hits with one RBI, two walks, and six strikeouts in 26 at-bats. Marceline scored one run on six hits with an RBI, two walks, and six strikeouts in 27 plate appearances. Each team had a double. Fayette stole two bases against one for the Tigers.

Fayette scored its first run in the top of the third, thanks to a pair of walks and crafty base running. With runners at the corners, Oeth attempted to steal second, drawing the throw from the Marceline catcher. He was called out, but the throw allowed Craig to score from third.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled with how we played tonight. It was an exciting game,” said Coach Oeth.

Craig was an absolute difference-maker in Friday’s win for Fayette. Not only did he score both runs, but he extended the final inning with a single before touching home for the go-ahead run.

Junior Ethan Bean had an outstanding night, both on the hill and at the plate. He delivered two of Fayette’s six hits and threw nearly four shutout innings with two strikeouts. He surrendered two hits and walked two batters before he was pulled after 57 pitches in 3.2 innings to keep him eligible to pitch on Monday if the Falcons won.

Seniors Kaleb Friebe and Thomas Elliott each singled. Oeth also had a strong night, delivering the game-winning RBI and pitching the final 3.1 innings. On the mound, he gave up one unearned run on four hits with four strikeouts. He finished the day with 50 pitches.

“Our plan for pitching worked out perfectly, exactly how we wanted it to. And now we have options for Monday,” said Coach Oeth. He added that he might deploy the same strategy when the Falcons take on second-seeded Westran in the semifinals. The game was scheduled for Monday, but due to rain, it was postponed until Tuesday after the Advertiser went to press.

Up until Friday, arguably Fayette’s best performance of the season came on April 17 against Westran in a 3-1 loss. The Hornets are 14-7 overall this season, having lost their final two games of the regular season. The Hornets have not played since May 13, after receiving a first-round bye in the six-team tournament.

Coach Oeth knows that to advance to the district championship, his team must play an error-free game and be aggressive at the plate. “We played them really well earlier this season. Up to this point, that was the best game we had played all season. They’re a good team and they’re well-coached. And I think these guys want another shot at Westran.”

The two former Lewis & Clark Conference rivals were set to face off at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Estes Field following the conclusion of the game between top-seeded Salisbury and fourth-seeded Linn County/Meadville. Tuesday’s winners will play for the district title at 5 p.m. tonight (Wednesday).