BENTON — Senior Grady Chupp had a night to remember, and he made sure to soak in every moment of it.
Batting seventh and playing shortstop for Fairfield, Chupp scored four runs, stole three bases, and added two assists and a putout on defense, leading the Falcons to a dominant 15-5 mercy-rule victory over visiting Prairie Heights in a Northeast Corner Conference showdown Thursday, May 14.
The win pushed Fairfield to 8-12 overall and 3-5 in the NECC, while the Panthers dropped to 4-13 and 0-8. More importantly, it marked the Falcons' third straight home win and their fourth victory in the last five games—a hot streak that has the team feeling confident.
"I'm just thankful for every day we get to play baseball," said Chupp, one of six seniors honored on Senior Night. "Our team's playing great. It was a struggle at the start of this season, but it's coming around. I'm just thankful for my teammates and coaches and everybody who's come together."
Joining Chupp in the Class of 2026 celebration were Landon Beasy, Grady Garber, Cole Knight, Logan Miller, and Breckin Stair. Knight, in his first year of baseball, received a thunderous ovation from the crowd as a courtesy runner and pinch-hitter.
"We love that kid," Chupp said. "It was a special moment for him and the team."
Offensively, the Falcons were relentless, racking up 11 hits against three Prairie Heights pitchers. Sophomore Kyler Castetter led the charge with three RBIs, while Grady Garber and Logan Miller each drove in two runs. Junior Drew Beachy also contributed two hits as Fairfield capitalized on nine errors by the visitors.
"Was it the prettiest game? Not really," Fairfield coach Darin Kauffman admitted. "But we put the ball in play up and down the lineup and made some good defensive plays, too."
On the mound, left-hander Grady Garber struck out six over four innings, allowing six hits and one walk. Freshman Drew Tobias closed the door with two perfect frames, fanning four and throwing 22 strikes in 37 pitches. The Panthers stranded four runners, while the Falcons left six on base but swiped seven bags as a team—three courtesy of Chupp.
Fairfield set the tone early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first after Beachy reached on a throwing error, stole second, and moved to third on a one-out infield single. From there, the Falcons never looked back, turning a special senior night into a statement win.