District Showdown Baseball Classic

SPRINGDALE — Fans got treated to a classic baseball scenario with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, and when a high school game goes that long anything can happen.

Tension mounted with Farmington and Huntsville deadlocked at 4-4 since the seventh when Eagle reliever Braden Carter beaned Michael White bringing the winning run across the plate in the District 4A-1 semifinals on April 30.

Farmington found means to win despite getting out-hit 11- to- 6 by Huntsville and striking out 12 times.

Farmington’s hitting efficiency produced five RBIs on six hits. Caden Elsik proved a tough out by going 4- for- 5, belting a pair of doubles and scoring a trio of runs. Chase Brown (1-for-2, 2 RBIs, 3 BB) and Tate Sutton (1-for-5) had the other two Cardinal hits.

The Cardinal effort was aided by seven bases on balls with Michael White, Trevor McCuin and Trey Hill getting hit by pitches. Farmington left eight runners on base.

Huntsville threatened in both extra innings. Grayson Easterling had a single up the middle with one out in the top of the eighth, but the next two batters popped up to shortstop and first base, negating the threat. Slayter Watlkins singled into left field, but didn’t have a base runner on; and Hodge left him stranded by striking out Reynolds bringing up the Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth with the game still deadlocked at 4-4.

After striking out the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth, Carter got into trouble, surrendering Elsik’s single into left field, beaning Trey Hill, and walking Chase Brown to load the bases. White fouled off a 1-0 pitch to even the count, then was hit by a pitch walking in the winning run.

Competitive Beginning

The game began with two scoreless innings before each team scored a run in the third. Huntsville sophomore Judd Box, a 6-4, 190 pound sophomore, was solid through four innings while Farmington starter Chase Brown was equal to the task.

Box started for the Eagles and went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. He hit one batter with a pitch. Brooks Wiggins gave up a run while walking two. Luke Eaton was next. He struck out one and walked two. Carter thew the last four innings for Huntsville. He surrendered one run on one hit and struck out six before giving up the winning run when he hit a batter.

Brown worked six innings for the Cardinals, allowing four runs on eight hits with no walks and nine strikeouts before reaching a 102 pitchcount. Ethan Hodge got the Cardinals through the three innings including the eighth and ninth. He limited the Eagles to three hits while facing 12 batters.

Farmington leadoff hitter Tate Sutton sparked a fifth inning 3-run Cardinal surge by digging in to beat a throw to first and record an infield single. Huntsville coach Greg Harris came out on the field protesting the safe ruling, but it was upheld.

Elsik doubled into left field on a 2-2 pitch to put two runners aboard. Box was yanked in favor of senior Brooks Wiggins, who fell behind 3-0 in the count facing Farmington catcher Trey Hill. Huntsville then opted to put Hill on base with an intentional walk loading the bases.

Brown came up next and walked on a 4-1 count, bringing the go-ahead run across the plate. Harris pulled Wiggins and inserted junior Luke Eaton with the Cardinals leading 2-1 and the bases still loaded.

Michael White fouled off a pitch and took a called strike two. He took two straight balls to walk in another run giving Farmington a 3-1 lead. Eaton caught Kyson Bridges looking on a called strike three as tension mounted. Pinch-hitter Cooper Gardenhire replicated White’s quality at- bat by taking two straight balls after facing a 2-2 count. A third Cardinal run walked across the plate upping Farmington’s advantage to 4-1.

Carter came out to the mound as the fourth Eagle pitcher of the inning and got Huntsville out of the basesloaded jam with consecutive strike-outs.

Eagles Rally

Trailing 4-1, Huntsville fought to get back in the game with a concerted offensive effort in the top of the sixth. Kolton Reynolds led off with a single into right center. Brown induced Eaton into hitting into a fielder’s choice with Reynolds out at second. Carter and Easterling hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Huntsville.

Four Eagles had multiple hits against the Cardinals led by Bradley ( 3- for- 5, double, 1 RS, SB), Reynolds (2-for-5, RBI), Carter (2-for4), and Easterling (2-for-4, 1 RS) while Owens doubled in his only at-bat driving in three runs. Huntsville had 9 runners left on base.

Brown struck out Harley Owens for the second out before Huntsville freshman Sawyer Owens drove a double to deep right center clearing the bases and tying the game, 4-4.

Facing his opposite jersey No. 19 worn by Mason Davidson, Brown reached a full-count before striking out the Huntsville sophomore ending the inning. Carter retired the Cardinals in order in the bottom half of the inning. Reliever Ethan Hodge came on for Farmington in the seventh. After yielding a leadoff single to Tucker Bradley, Hodge induced a pop- up caught by Hill behind the plate, struck out Reynolds, and got Eaton to fly-out to right field just inside the line.

4A-1 DISTRICT SEMIFINAL APRIL 30 AT SHILOH CHRISTIAN

Farmington 4, Huntsville 3 (Nine Innings) Huntsville (16-6) ..... 001 003 000 — 4 11 1 Farmington (19-5) .. 001 030 001 — 5 6 2 W — Ethan Hodge, L — Braden Carter.