LUCASVILLE — Allison Hager may be at the end of the lineup, but she was at the start of things Wednesday.

Hager ignited both Fairland rallies and scored the winning run as the Lady Dragons beat the Unioto Lady Shermans 3-2 in the Division III district semifinals.

“Allison asked at the beginning of the season why she was the No. 9 hitter,” Fairland coach Leroy Baise said.

“I told her that with her speed, we have some big hitters behind you. It worked out for us today.”

After two scoreless innings, Hager doubled to left field to open the third inning and scored on a hit by Mackenzie Rucker. Kirsten Midkiff singled Rucker to third base and Stephanie Graham had a run-scoring single.

Unioto tied the game with two runs in the sixth inning when Krystal Short and Brittany Neff both singled and Sarah Sullivan had a two-run triple.

But Fairland needed just two batters to push across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Hager led off the inning with a double and Rucker followed with a single for the game-winning RBI.

Fairland, 24-1, plays Portsmouth West at 1 p.m. Saturday in the district championship.

“We’ll have to play a good game. They have a very good team,” Baise said.

“Unioto was a solid club. Their pitcher kept us off-balance. She had a great change-up. Megan gave up a hit here and there, but we made the plays behind her. It was a great game.”

Megan Auxier struck out 11 and did not walk a batter as she scattered nine hits. Maria Murry took the loss as she gave up seven hits, struck out two and walked two.

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Maria Murray and Krystal Short. Megan Auxier and Mackenzie Rucker. W-Auxier (11-K, 0-BB). L-Murray (2-K, 2-BB). 2B-Unioto: Murray; Fairland: Allison Hager. 3B-Unioto: Sullivan; Fairland: Megan Auxier.Hitting-Unioto: Krystal Short 2-4, Brittany Neff 1-4, Leah Jadwin 1-4, Sarah Sullivan 2-3, Maria Murray 1-3,Mandy Lagard 2-3; Fairland: McKenzie Rucker 1-3, Kirsten Midkiff 2-3, Megan Auxier 1-2, Stephanie Graham 2-3, Allison Hager 1-3.