Lady Cardinals Jump Huntsville Early

FARMINGTON — Farmington (5-1, 1-0) slammed Huntsville for 9 runs out of the gate on the way to a 15-0 three inning mercy rule win in the 4A-1 softball conference season opener Thursday.

Addy Cassell (2-0) didn’t give Huntsville much of a chance to get going throwing a no-hitter with 7 strike-outs over 3-innings. She got all the run support she needed in the first inning. Kally Stout (2-of-3, double, 5 RBIs) homered with one on board staking Farmington out to an early 2-0 lead.

The third Farmington batter up, Alyssa Reed (3-of3, RBI), smacked a stand-up double and freshman Grace Boatwright walked. Huntsville compounded its woes by allowing Madison Parrish to reach second on an error with a run scoring.

With two runners in scoring position, Remington Adams (triple, 3 RBIs), plated a pair of runs by driving a single into left field for a 5-0 Lady Cardinal lead.

Shayley Treat hit into the first of two double-plays recorded by Huntsville in the game. Treat’s fly into right field caught a runner off base, but the Lady Eagles couldn’t capitalize on the feat.

Failure to get Mckenzie Bogan out when a throw to first went awry cost Huntsville 4 more runs. Paige Anderson drew a walk on four straight balls with a passed ball allowing Farmington courtesy runner Keely Stout to reach third prompting Huntsville coach Greg Sone to tell his catcher, “There’s no excuse for that.”

Leadoff hitter Eliana Marano came up for the second time in the inning doing business at the plate. After falling behind 0-2 in the count on a bunt foul and called strike-two, Marana took ball-one then fouled off a pitch. She took ball-two and the Lady Eagles decided to throw to third enabling Anderson to scoot to second.

Marano walked to load the bases. Kally Stout fouled off the first pitch and took a called strike-two before blasting a 3-RBI triple frustrating Sone.

“Hey, that was an 0-2 pitch, got to live here out in the world,” Sone told his starting pitcher, Mazze Nelle.

Parrish cranked out an RBI single on the next pitch pushing Farmington’s lead to 9-0 with 4 runs coming with two outs.

Farmington coach Randy Osnes liked the punch the Lady Cardinals exhibited with their bats.

“Coach Sone does a good job you know. We put the ball in play and made things happen and ended up winning the ballgame,” Osnes said.

The Lady Cardinals added 3 runs in the second and tacked on 3 more in the third to end the game early.

Farmington is off for spring break next week, then visits Gravette March as conference play begins. What Osnes wants out of his softball squad is for the girls to “compete a little harder at certain times.”