Blackhawk base runners thwarted by Cards
FARMINGTON — Pea Ridge (9-8, 2-5) represents a dangerous baseball team although the Blackhawks’ 2022 conference record doesn’t show that.
In pregame conversation before the Cardinals dealt the Blackhawks a 13-6 loss Friday, Farmington coach Jay Harper said the same to Pea Ridge coach Matt Easterling.
“We knew we had to pitch it good and we couldn’t let them have four or five hits in a row. Our guys did a pretty good job. We played pretty well defensively. We made a couple of mistakes, but for the most part I thought we played pretty good,” Harper said.
Easterling credited Farmington starter Chase Brown with denying runs once the Blackhawks got runners on base. The Blackhawks left two men on in the third, bases loaded in the fourth and two runners stranded in the sixth.
“We had a hard time with guys in scoring position today. We kept comboing up and getting out. Their kid did a good job. He kept us off-balance,” Easterling said.
Farmington senior catcher Trey Hill went 4-for-4, sending a pair of 3-run home runs skyrocketing out of the ballpark.
Hill’s first homer came off Pea Ridge starter Logan Stewart, putting the finishing touches on a five-run fourth for a 6-2 Farmington lead.
“He’s a pretty good pitcher, I’ve known him for awhile now and I was sitting fast ball, looking offspeed and he gave me one and I ran into a fast ball and hit it over the fence,” Hill said.
Hill’s second home run sailed above center field in the fifth as the Cardinals tacked on five more runs taking an 11-4 lead. He doubled in the sixth to drive in Farmington’s 13th run after Lawson DeVault tripled to plate Kyson Bridges, who led off the inning with a double.
Weston Sills came on in relief of Brown, who walked three straight batters to load the bases and surrendered a run by walking a fourth man in the top of the fifth.
Sills struck out Nathaniel Bennett on three straight pitches. Nate Delossantos singled to drive in a run, leaving the bases loaded.
Sills then struck out Johnny Lyons in three pitches to ease the Cardinals out of the inning with their lead intact but reduced to 6-4.
Harper inserted Brandon Waters as a courtesy runner at second base following Sills’ leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth. Waters went to second on a passed ball, then to third on a balk.
Luke Elsik kept the pressure on Pea Ridge by drawing a walk on a 3-1 pitch, prompting a pitching change for the Blackhawks facing another volatile situation with two runners on and the top of the Cardinal order coming up.
DeVault got ahead 3-0 in the count, then showed bunt and took ball four to load the bases for Case Enderland. Enderland hit into a fielder’s choice with Pea Ridge getting a force out at third but giving up a run as Waters crossed the plate, giving Farmington a 7-4 cushion.
Hill came to the plate and smashed the first pitch over the left center field wall, achieving his second 3-run homer, which effectively answered the Blackhawks’ two runs in the top of the fifth by stretching Farmington’s lead to 10-4.
Michael White doubled down the third base line and Chase Brown plated him with a single into right center tacking on an eleventh run for the Cardinals.
The Blackhawks grabbed a 2-1 lead on Logan Stewart’s solo home run in the third and John Roses scored on an error in the fourth after he was hit by a pitch, but they left two runners on base when Brown recorded a strike out.
“I thought we pitched it OK. Chase did a really good job. He didn’t have his control, what he has usually, but Weston Sills came in, did a good job and closed the door,” Harper said.
Once the Cardinals regained the lead they didn’t allow Pea Ridge to string together enough hits to orchestrate a big rally.
Stewart beaned a pair of runners in the second inning, alternating between inducing two fly outs. He got out of the inning by getting Enderland to send a grounder to third for the force out.
Farmington’s win, combined with Harrison’s 4-2 defeat of Huntsville, enabled the Cardinals (13-7-1, 5-1) to move into a threeway tie for first place, but nobody’s taking Pea Ridge lightly.