Farmington Chips Away At Gentry Until Dam Breaks, 14-1

FARMINGTON — Farmington (10-3, 3-0) kept chipping away until the dam broke, building a 5-0 lead through five innings, then exploding for nine runs in their last two at-bats.

The Lady Cardinals handed Gentry a 14-1 loss April 7 behind an 18- hit attack led by sophomore Reese Shirey, who doubled in the second, and singled in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings. Isabella Hulsey, Kamryn Uher, Grace Boatright, Justine Davidson, Morgan Uher, and Remington Adams contributed multiple hits for Farmington.

The Lady Cardinals pushed a run across in the first inning on Justine Davidson’s RBI single. The Lady Cardinals added two runs in the second and two more in the fourth, gradually increasing their lead before turning the game into a rout with four runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh inning.

In the second, Kamryn Uher singled followed by a Kennedy Griggs walk. Adams hit into a fielder’s choice. Gentry couldn’t prevent Kamryn Uher from advancing to third but got Griggs out at second, posturing runners at the corners. Shirey reached on an error with two runs, scoring to give Farmington a 3-0 cushion.

Gentry tried to answer with Evey Tomlinson singling into right field and moving to second on Liberty Bannon’s sacrifice bunt. That went for naught as Farmington ended the inning on a groundout.

The Lady Pioneers couldn’t capitalize on another opportunity in the third inning. Kyleigh Wheaton singled and Mazzi Jones doubled sending Wheaton to third. Farmington avoided giving up a run by turning a double play. Audrie Littlejohn’s ground ball was fielded by Davidson playing third. She threw the runner out at first and Boatright relayed the ball to catcher Skylar Riddle, who tagged Wheaton out at the plate.

In the fourth Griggs drew a walk and Adams doubled. Reese Shirey drove in a run with a single and Boatright did likewise on a groundout, upping the Lady Cardinal lead to 5-0.

Adams and Shirey singled in the sixth. Adams tagged up and went to third on a fly out by Boatright into right field. Adams scored on a throwing error and Shirey moved to third on a Gentry miscue. Hulsey walked and Davidson drove in a run with a single. Davidson scored on a passed ball and Morgan Uher drove in the ninth run of the game for the Lady Cardinals when she singled by driving a grounder into left field.

Farmington’s seventh inning surge featured a single by Peyton Denham, Adams reaching on an error, and Boatright’s double. Boatright finished with 4 RBIs while Hulsey and Morgan Uher also drove in runs.

Morgan Uher (6-1) threw effectively in a complete game, allowing one run on nine hits while striking out two. Kyleigh Wheaton took the loss for Gentry. She allowed 18 hits and 14 runs and struck out five over seven innings.

Wheaton went 4- for- 4 to account for nearly half of Gentry’s nine hits. She tripled on a fly ball to right field in the seventh. Mazzi Jones went 3-for-4 and drove in the only run for the Lady Pioneers with a bunt single in the bottom of the seventh.

The teams combined to leave 19 runners on base. Nine of those belonged to Gentry. Gentry coach Erica Jones wanted to see the Lady Pioneers sharpen up two areas last week.

“We’ve got to be more aggressive at the plate and tracking the ball better,” Jones said.