“The thing is, you don’t ever start out thinking about the numbers,” Stieger, a 1983 Fairfield graduate, said after hugging every one of her players in the dugout and before indulging in chocolate cupcakes — half with red icing, half with white, Fairfield’s school colors. “You love the game and you love being around the kids and you want to prolong that.”
The cupcakes, along with a bouquet of roses, were a collaborative effort, junior shortstop Maddie Koger said.
“We knew it was coming up,” said Koger, a first-team All-GMC selection last season. “We knew we had to do it for her.”
Fairfield athletic director Mark Harden and Stieger’s predecessor as Fairfield’s softball coach, Lebanon athletic director Bill Stewart, were on hand for the milestone win. Harden recorded the moment with a cellphone photo of Stieger and her daughter, assistant coach Alexa Thompson, with the cupcakes and flowers.
“I’ve been fortunate to be in a position where I’ve had some good players, great support and great assistants,” Stieger said.
Speaking of support, sophomore first baseman Taylor Delk hit her second home run and drove in five runs to lead an eruption in which every starter except pitcher Brooklynn Grein logged at least one hit — and Grein drew two walks. Koger and senior catcher Sydney Wyatt each scored three runs, and Wyatt and Delk each finished with three hits, part of the 15 racked up by the Indians.
Grein (3-4) held the Cardinals (2-7, 2-4) hitless through three innings and allowed three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Colerain pushed across an unearned run in the fifth to ruin her bid for a shutout.
Wyatt led off the game with a triple to right field, sparking a three-run inning. The Indians added four runs in the second and six in the third, which featured Delk’s two-run homer over the fence in left-center. Her double to center drove in senior left fielder Hannah Franciose with Fairfield’s final run in the fourth inning.
Fairfield’s three wins have come by a combined 38 runs, while the Indians’ four losses have come by a combined five runs, one by two in extra innings. They hadn’t played since April 6, but they showed no signs of rust, suggesting they might be ready to make a run during the second round of GMC games, which starts Wednesday at Middletown in a rematch of a game Fairfield won 8-1 earlier this season.
The Indians also are due to play a nonconference home game against Fairmont on Thursday, a GMC game against Sycamore at home on Friday and a nonconference game at Harrison on Saturday.
“The second swing through the GMC is our time to step up,” Koger said.
“We needed confidence,” Stieger said. “We’re starting to feel it. The GMC is like no other (conference). It really prepares you for the end. It’s going to be a sprint here.”
On the other hand, what about the prolonged run of her career? What about, say, 500 wins? She smiled slightly.
“We’ll see how things go,” she said. “Like I said, you don’t start out thinking about that kind of stuff. If you enjoy it, you keep going.”
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