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ST. CLAIR TWP. — A couple more innings would've been just fine with Alex Johnson.

The Fairfield High School junior pitcher said there was a reason he looked stronger toward the end of the Division I sectional baseball game against host Edgewood on Tuesday, May 13.

Because he was stronger.

"That's how it always is," Johnson said after the Indians opened the postseason with a 5-2 victory. "I don't know why. Maybe it's because I get more loose as the game goes on. I just wanted to go all the way and keep our relievers at 100 percent for the next game."

Johnson tossed a six-hitter, striking out four and walking one, and Mike Haney homered for Fairfield (11-15), which has won eight of its last 10 games.

The Indians will go on the road to face Greater Miami Conference rival Lakota East this afternoon in the sectional semifinals. The second-seeded Thunderhawks defeated FHS 13-2 and 7-6 last month.

Senior southpaw Cody Riggs will be the Indians' starting pitcher against East (14-11).

"The kids are hungrier — there's more firepower in their eyes," Fairfield coach Larry Price said. "We're playing so much better at this point in the season. I guarantee if we went through the GMC now, we wouldn't be where we are in the standings (eighth place)."

Edgewood made the Indians work for their win, yet the hosts never led after Haney's sacrifice fly scored Brennan Croy in the top of the first.

Haney's solo homer in the fifth was a no-doubter over the left-field wall, and he added a single. Croy was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs.

"Fairfield's playing good baseball. ... You can't count 'em out," Cougars coach Brian Caudill said. "Their pitcher was good. The surprising thing was that he did it with mostly fastballs. We didn't take advantage of that as a fastball-hitting team."

Johnson allowed just one infield single over the last four innings. He gave up both runs in the third on a double by Justin Elder, an RBI single by Seth Martin and an RBI double by Josh Crout.

Dustin Slusher reached base on a two-out single in the seventh for EHS (15-12), and Elder made it a first-and-second situation after a Fairfield error on an infield pop-up. But a ground ball led to a fielder's choice that ended the Cougars' season.

"The error was just a bonehead play by me," said Johnson, who interfered with first baseman Mitchell Durbin on what should've been an easy out. "But I wasn't worried.

"We're rolling, and we're still Fairfield," he continued. "We've won two state titles and a national championship here. We're just trying to get more respect than we've had the last couple years."

Cole Ewen pitched 41/3 innings, and Kyle Sigmon finished for Edgewood. Elder had two hits.

Caudill described his group as "overachievers," especially after dealing with season-ending injuries to Austin House and Johnny Harding.

"I give credit to our kids for battling all year," said Caudill, whose squad captured the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Scarlet Division title after an 0-2 start in the league. "I think our nine seniors will look back on their high school years and have good memories."

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