Lady Cardinals open tournament with 6-1 win

HARRISON — Not everybody took spring break off from athletic competition.

Farmington (4-1, 0-0) and Harding Academy squared off on Friday at Equity Bank Sports Complex in the opening round of the Ozark Classic tournament hosted at Harrison with the Lady Cardinals winning 6-1.

Farmington broke away from a 1-1 tie by erupting for 5 runs on 5 hits in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 6-1 lead. Senior Justine Davidson (1 for 3, 2 RBIs) fueled the explosion with a timely single that drove in a pair of runs.

Harding Academy pushed a run across in the first. Starting pitcher Ava Ellis (1 for 3, double, run scored) doubled and scored on second baseman Mackenzie Byrd’s single.

Farmington starter Kennedy Griggs (4-1) pitched a shutout the rest of the way to earn the win for the Lady Cardinals. Griggs was stingy, allowing one run and scattering 5 hits over 5 innings, while ringing up 7 strikeouts and walking one.

Morgan Uher (1 for 2, RBI, walk, run scored), who had a monster 3-run homer that factored prominently in Farmington’s 7-run fifth inning comeback victory over Springdale Har-Ber on March 16, delivered another clutch hit by singling, which enabled the Lady Cardinals to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third.

Senior center fielder Reese Shirey led Farmington, producing 2 hits in 3 at bats with a double and a run scored as the leadoff hitter. Isabella Hulsey (1 for 3, RBI, double, run scored), Amia Carr (1 for 3, RBI), and Mallory Sills (1 for 3, RBI) contributed to the Lady Cardinal offense. The Lady Cardinals didn’t commit a single error in the field.

Ellis took the loss for Harding Academy. She worked 5 innings, surrendering 6 runs on 9 hits, while striking out 8 against one walk.

Byrd finished 2 for 3 in the batter’s box and accounted for Harding’s only run batted in.