CAMDEN — The long road trip for the Fairmont baseball team paid off.
The Golden Tornadoes earned a 4-3 win over Camden County in the first round of the 2A state playoffs on Tuesday after traveling more than four hours to face the Bruins.
No. 25 Fairmont (13-12) advances to face No. 9 Seaforth in the second round on Friday; Seaforth beat No. 24 Princeton 7-0 Tuesday.
The Golden Tornadoes scored two runs in the second and one in the third to take a 3-0 lead. After No. 8 Camden County (16-7) made it 3-2 with a two-run third, Fairmont added one in the fifth and the Bruins scored one in the sixth. Both sides totaled six hits.
Parker Chavis and Mynkoda Smith tag-teamed on the mound for Fairmont, with Chavis pitching three innings, allowing three hits on two runs with four strikeouts, and Smith going four innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits with one strikeout.
Nemo Chavis had two hits and two RBIs for Fairmont and Kenley Callahan also had two hits, including a double, with an RBI and a run. Smith and Jayden Hunt each had one hit and one run, Jamarion Brown had an RBI and Jamien Scott scored a run.
Bradley Elias and Trot Pipkin each had two hits and one run for the Bruins; Elias also pitched six innings with six strikeouts, allowing four runs.
Fairmont advanced to the second round for the first time since 2016.
