JIMTOWN — Some fans tried to tell Fairfield High School baseball coach Brodie Garber it was a disadvantage having to complete a semifinal game before playing the championship contest Tuesday evening.

Garber and his Falcons took the opposite approach, looking at it as a advantage.

Fairfield only had to play an inning to complete its semifinal before defeating LaVille, 9-1, in the finale of a Class 2A sectional at Jimtown.

The Falcons were leading Bremen 6-1 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning when heavy rains and lightning forced the suspension Monday. The Falcons scored six more runs in the frame and topped the Lions 12-1.

“Some people tried to tell me we were going to lose our momentum with the suspension of the game,” Garber said. “We told the kids to look at it as an advantage to play an inning before the championship game.”

Fairfield (22-3) advances to the Jimtown regional on Saturday, meeting Central Noble (8-2 winner over Churubusco) around 1:30 p.m. Hammond Noll and Boone Grove square off in the 11 a.m. opener.

Winners return for the championship game at 7:30 and a berth in a one-game semistate on Saturday, June 12 at either Kokomo or South Bend.

“We beat Central Noble and Churubusco early in the season,” Garber said. “I don’t remember much about those games and at this point in the season those results don’t mean that much.”

The delay caused Garber to make a decision about his pitching staff. Left-handed senior Justin Scott was pitching the suspended game. Garber pulled him after the Falcons went up 12-1 and started him in the championship.

Scott pitched four innings Tuesday and the only real trouble he had was in the first. He walked the leadoff hitter, senior Cody Coblentz, and sophomore Justin Baker followed with a single. Coblentz scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Chris Stump.

“I didn’t know what to do with Scott,” Garber said. “He only threw 57 pitches Monday. He had some problems in the first, but his other three innings were very good.”

Senior Derick Troeger hurled the last three innings for the Falcons. The only hit he allowed was a single to senior Chase Heims in the sixth.

“Troeger came in and cleaned things up,” Garber said.

Scott and Troeger make a good combination.

“Scott being a lefty helps and Troeger has kind of a funky delivery,” Garber said.

The Falcons trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the first, but didn’t waste much time regaining the lead.

Scott started things with a single and sophomore Brad Newcomer drew a walk. Troeger tied the game with a single while sophomore Zach Newcomer and junior Jordan Bontrager put Fairfield in the lead for good with run-scoring singles.

Fairfield added two more runs in the second as Scott stole home and Troeger drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.

Bontrager belted a two-run homer over the fence in left center in the fourth and Zach Newcomer drove in the final two runs in the fifth with a bases-loaded single.

The Falcons led 5-0 at the end of three innings and had already left seven runners on base.

“The first three innings we got a lot of runners on,” Garber said. “That not only puts pressure on the opposing pitcher it helps our pitcher feel  good.”

Scott had quite a sectional for the Falcons. Not only was he the winning pitcher in all three of Fairfield’s games, he reached base successfully every time he came to the plate in the sectional.

The Indiana-Purdue of Fort Wayne recruit was up four times in the championship game. He had three singles, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs.

Zach Newcomer had a double, two singles and three RBI for the Falcons. Senior Josh Brown added a double and single from the No. 9 spot.

“Brown could honestly be batting sixth or even in the second slot,” Garber said. “We talked about it before the season and he is OK batting ninth. Scott has a ton of RBIs in the leadoff spot because Brown is on base so much.”