Following Center Grove’s win over Brownsburg in last Saturday’s softball semistate championship, coach Alyssa Coleman was asked about junior Lexi Fair’s postseason contributions.
As soon as Fair’s name hit the air, Coleman interjected with a hearty "Captain Clutch!"
The moniker is certainly well deserved given how well Fair has performed over the past two or three weeks. As the Trojans have advanced deeper into the state tournament, the catcher has only gotten better and better — and she’s got her squad playing for a Class 4A state title at Purdue on Saturday.
"She’s a fighter, and she’s the definition of clutch for us right now," senior pitcher Abby Herbst said of her battery mate. "I couldn’t ask for a better 4 hitter or a catcher."
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In the Trojans’ sectional opener against longtime rival Franklin Central, Fair’s two-run homer in the sixth inning provided the only offense in a 2-0 victory. Likewise, in the sectional final against Franklin, it was Fair’s RBI double that broke an 11-inning stalemate and gave Center Grove a 1-0 win.
Since then, Fair has tried to avoid waiting until the end of the game to deliver. On two different occasions — once in the regional at Columbus North and again in the Brownsburg win — she led off the second inning with a home run to give the Trojans leads that they never relinquished.
Since the state tournament began, Fair is batting .429 (9 for 21) with a double, a triple, three home runs and seven runs batted in. She has six homers on the year, four of them in the last month.
"You can see when she gets in the box and she stays in her legs, she’s going to drive the ball and at least give us an opportunity at something special," Coleman said. "Now the home runs, keep those coming, but we just keep telling her, ‘Yeah, the outcome’s starting to be the regular, but own the process. Keep focusing on that, and you won’t be disappointed.’"
On top of her hitting heroics, Fair has been a rock behind the plate for the Trojans. She has built a visibly strong rapport with Herbst, and her toughness was on full display in the semistate final, when she shook off a foul ball that rocketed off of her forearm and left a noticeable welt.
With her team this close to a championship, it’s going to take a lot more than a bruise to knock Fair off of her game. She’s gotten herself to a pretty good place, and her confidence is at an all-time high going into Saturday. Having delivered in all of the big moments this postseason, she’s ready to do it one more time.
"I know I can hit these pitches, and I’ve just focused on the simple things," Fair said. "Just catch it out front, hit it, get to my extension and good things will happen."
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Class 4A state championship
Center Grove (27-3) vs. Leo (25-1)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bittinger Stadium, Purdue University
Tickets: $10, available at the Center Grove athletic office from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Friday
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