Cardinals Even Series With Russellville

HARPER’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO DUGOUT

RUSSELLVILLE — Farmington pulled out a 5- 4 road win at Russellville on Friday to even their season series, having lost 1- 0 in eight innings to the Cyclones on Feb. 27.

The game marked the return of head coach Jay Harper to the dugout. He had to sit out last Tuesday’s game after being ejected on Monday against Shiloh Christian.

“We have been playing real well, we have been hitting real well,” Harper said. “Cade Fenton pitched five innings of one-hit ball. We got in some trouble late. We walked too many, that’s how we let them back in the game.”

The Cardinals struck in the first inning with a two-out walk by Blake Putnam and a towering home run by Tyler Gregg for a 2-0 lead. Fenton started on the hill and held Russellville scoreless in the first. Logan Bobak had a two-out single in the second and was followed by a Ryan Larkin walk. Putnam had an RBI single to score Bobak. Gregg hit a high infield pop-up that was misplayed by the third baseman which allowed a hustling Larkin to score for a 4-0 lead after two innings. Bobak led off the fourth with a solo home run for a 5-0 Cardinal lead. Fenton allowed two runs in the fourth for a 5-2 lead after four innings.

Fenton allowed another run in the fifth and was relieved by Kyle Gates with a runner on second and one out. Gates got a fly ball out and a strikeout to end the inning up 5- 3. Both sides were retired in order in the sixth. The Cardinals went down in order in the seventh and were unable to increase their lead.

Gates struck out the first batter in the seventh and then walked two in a row. He got a second out on a fly ball to Eric Hill. Gates allowed an RBI single to make the score 5-4 with runners on second and third. Gates then bowed up and struck out the final batter for the save.

With the win, the Cardinals move to 13-4 overall and 5-0 in conference. Fenton got the win. He walked eight, struck out eight, allowed two hits and three runs. Gates got the save by striking out five, walking three, allowing one hit and one run. Bobak hit his first home-run and Gregg hit his seventh.

“We have been playing about as well as we can play, at times,” Harper said. “What we have to do is learn how to put full games together and learn how to finish them. We have plenty of time to learn how to do that before the state tournament.”

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington’s Drake Vinyard, shown celebrating a homerun against Clarksville, helped the Cardinals pull off a 5-4 road win at 6A Russellville on Friday.