Cards Experience Ups, Downs

MOMENTUM SWINGS AWAY FROM FARMINGTON

FARMINGTON — The Cardinal baseball team suffered a 9-7 loss to Harrison April 4 to fall to 13-6 and 5-1 in 6A/5A District-1 play.

Farmington built a lead gradually. Cade Killion drove in a run with a ground-out in the first inning. They continued to lead, at 4-2, going into their at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning. Farmington added two more runs, the first with Tyler Gregg batting, on a throwing error. Gregg then blasted a stand-up double. He was replaced by a courtesy runner. Kelton Price singled to record an RBI pushing the Cardinal lead to 6-2.

Blake Putnam drove in Farmington’s seventh run with a single into center field and the sixth ended with the Cardinals ahead, 7-4. Farmington coach Jay Harper noted the Cardinals had to relieve Gregg, who started, in the seventh inning due to Arkansas Activities Association pitch-count rules.

“He was at 106 pitches, we don’t like to let him get past 100 at all,” Harper said.

The Goblins scored 5 runs on 6 hits in the top of the seventh.

“That’s a team that’s going to peck away at you,” Harper said. “They made the plays when they had to. Coach (Greg) Crow is a good coach.”

With the Cardinals leading 7-5, Colton Shaver reached second base on a throw home. Collin Ballard was inserted as a pinch-runner and scored the tying run. After the go-ahead run scored, Harrison added an insurance run on passed ball to lead, 9-7.

“Sometimes the team is not ready to play, I didn’t think we were ready to play today,” Harper said. “We made some critical errors.”

PHOTOS BY GRAHAM THOMAS NWA MEDIA Farmington senior Cade Fenton, shown pitching against Siloam Springs in a 4-0 win April 7, has been a mainstay among the Cardinal staff. He played a major role in Farmington’s 9-0 win over Clarksville April 18.

Farmington second baseman Blake Putnam makes the throw to first base as Siloam Springs courtesy runner Nolan Wallis ducks out of the way during an April 7 game won 4-0 by Farmington. The Cards lost 9-7 at home to Harrison April 3.