Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lady Cards KO Defending Champs
SPORTS EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of an ongoing series highlighting top sports stories for the 2010-19 decade at Farmington High School and its alumni.
FARMINGTON — To become the best frequently requires beating the best and Farmington accomplished just that by knocking off 2010 Class 4A champion, Nashville, during the 2011 State softball tournament.
On Monday, May 16, 2011, Farmington (31-4) defeated Nashville ( 20- 8) by a 6-0 score in the Class 4A state semifinal at Heber Springs Sports Complex on the way to winning the 2011 state championship. The Scrapperettes, who came in as a No. 1 seed from the 4A South and also won the 4A-7 Conference regular season title, didn’t make things easy as neither team scored over several innings.
Farmington pushed a run across in the fifth on a freak play to break a scoreless tie and took control with five runs in the sixth to earn a title shot in 2011.
With Farmington senior catcher Kelsie Stewart sliding into home in the fifth inning, a throw to the plate bounced off her helmet and into the face of Nashville catcher Tiffany Lee, who was taken to the hospital. Nashville coach Katie Corbell later reported Lee’s injuries weren’t life threatening.
Nashville edged Pottsville, 2-1, in the quarterfinals on Saturday behind starting pitcher Kera Hinds, who threw a complete game for the Scrapperettes. Hinds wasn’t overwhelming. She scattered 10 hits and struck out six Lady Apaches in the quarterfinal.
Against Pottsville, the Scrapperettes scored their only two runs in the fifth taking advantage of miscues. A pitch hit Hinds, and courtesy runner Avery Kesterson advanced on Shayla Wright’s bunt. In a tight game Nashville forced Pottsville to make a play and the Lady Apaches suffered a costly error when a wild pickoff throw sailed down the right field line allowing Kesterson to score and Wright to reach third. Wright scored Nashville’s winning run on Danielle Terwilliger’s bunt.
Nashville virtually replicated that same scenario in the early innings during the semifinal against Farmington except this time the pickoff throw didn’t work in their favor. The Lady Cardinals maintained their composure through four scoreless innings then came on strong once they established a 1-0 lead when Stewart broke the ice by sliding into home in the fifth.
Farmington junior pitching ace Madison Barnes was a big reason why Nashville couldn’t score. She tossed a 4-hit shutout with 9 strike-outs to help the Lady Cardinals advance to the softball finals for the first time since 2005.
Barnes received run support when it counted from seniors, a junior, and a pair of sophomores among her supporting cast. Stewart went 3-for-3, scored one run and added a stolen base. She accounted for the first run of the contest during the fifth inning, and the Lady Cardinals offense erupted to add 5 more in the sixth to put the game away. Senior center fielder Kala Crisp went 3-for-4 with a double and scored a run.
Stewart singled into right field to lead off the fifth. Two batters later with one out, Kylee Lewis hit into a fielder’s choice, but Nashville could get neither her nor Stewart out which opened the door for Farmington’s breakthrough run.
In the top of the sixth Jayme Doss (now Kutter) and Crisp singled to get aboard. Both would score. Sophomore Christian Parker singled to drive Doss putting Farmington up 2- 0. The Lady Cardinals didn’t have any outs and poured it on. Samantha Combs singled to score another insurance run as Crisp crossed home plate, but pinch-runner Andi Daniel ( subbing for Parker) was thrown out.
Stewart smashed a hit into left field to safely make first base. Sophomore Payton Weidner reached on an error with a Combs scoring to increase the lead to 4-0. Lewis reached on another Nashville error which cost the Scrapperettes who found themselves down 5-0 with Stewart scoring Farmington’s fifth run. Junior first baseman Kendra Center brought home the sixth run by successfully executing a squeeze bunt bringing Wiedner across the plate.
Crisp doubled in the top of the seventh and advanced to the third, but the Lady Cardinals couldn’t bring her around and took the field three outs away from making a state final appearance.
The Lady Cardinals took care of business retiring the Scrapperettes in short order. Although Nashville made contact Farmington didn’t allow any hits to get past the infield. Larabee at shortstop and Wiedner at third made plays to record outs. Barnes finished off the Scrapperettes by striking out Hinds.
Both teams left 5 runners stranded on base.
The victory advanced Farmington into the State final game at Bogle Park on the campus of the University of Arkansas originally scheduled for later that same week on Friday, May 20, 2011, at 2 p.m. against Ashdown.