CHESAPEAKE – Don’t anybody wake up Fairland coach Roger Snyder.

Saturday, April 29, 2000

CHESAPEAKE – Don’t anybody wake up Fairland coach Roger Snyder.

Continuing to surprise the experts and their preseason predictions, the Fairland Dragons remained atop the Ohio Valley Conference with a 6-5 win over the Chesapeake Panthers Friday.

"I never dreamed to be in this position at the beginning of the season," Snyder said. "It feels pretty good, but I know we have five games left. It’s going to be tough."

Fairland is 10-4 and 5-2 in the OVC. Chesapeake is 4-8 and 3-3.

Josh Dunfee went the distance for the win as he tossed a six-hitter. He fanned three and walked two. Zeb Best took the loss as he gave up seven hits and struck out eight, but he walked seven and hit a pair.

"Josh threw pretty well and we made some great defensive plays early. Josh got a little tired at the end, and we made some errors or we could have had a shutout," said Snyder.

Chesapeake coach Joe Waugh was happy with his team’s comeback effort, but disappointed in their early play.

"We didn’t show up to play until the sixth inning. Dunfee threw well for them early. Maybe if we had got started a little early, we might have had a little different outcome," Panthers coach Joe Waugh said.

Fairland took a 1-0 in the first when Ryan Boso walked, moved up on a passed ball, and came home on Jeremy Louden’s base hit.

The lead went to 5-0 in the fourth.

Boso was hit by a pitch, Kyle Leadmon walked, and Toby Morrison had an RBI single. Stuart Shepherd walked and Dunfee cranked a two-run double.

Fairland’s final run scored in the fifth when Boso walked, stole second, and came around on Louden’s double.

Louden finished the day 3-for-5.

Chesapeake finally got rolling with a pair of runs in the sixth.

Tony Bell walked, stole second, and scored on Joey Macri’s triple. Best reached on an error as Macri came home.

Chesapeake rallied in the seventh but came up a run short.

Josh Waugh singled, Todd Oberly doubled, and Ernest Bonecutter was safe on an error as a run scored.

Nick Karle walked, a passed ball moved Oberly and Karle up, Macri singled home a run, and Andy Clark hit into a fielder’s choice as Karle scored.

Fairland 100 410 0 – 6 7 2

Chesapeake 000 002 3 – 5 6 3

Josh Dunfee and Jarred Schneider. Zeb Best and Andy Clark. W-Dunfee (3-K, 2-W). L-Best (8-K, 7-W, 2-HBP). 2B-Fairland: Jeremy Louden, Josh Dunfee; Chesy: Todd Oberly. 3B-Chesy: Joey Macri. Hitting-Fairland: Jeremy Louden 3-5, Morrison 1-4, J. W. Jones 1-4, Josh Dunfee 1-3, Tim Adkins 1-4; Chesy: Joey Macri 2-4, Zeb Best 1-2, Josh Waugh 1-3, Todd Oberly 1-3, Ernest Bonecutter 1-3.