FARMINGTON -- Fifteen at-bats was all Clarksville got with more than half of them striking out while facing Farmington ace Tyler Gregg on Thursday.
Gregg needed only 56 pitches to put the Panthers away in five innings, aided by two Farmington home-runs.
"Tyler Gregg is dominating there," said Farmington coach Jay Harper. "He had a perfect game through five innings, no hits. When he's on the mound we feel pretty good about our chances."
In contrast, Clarksville starter senior Luke Holman threw 77 pitches in one less inning, surrendering 13 runs on 9 hits and two bases on balls. He was plagued by six Clarksville errors over four innings. Farmington committed no errors in backing Gregg, who pitched a shutout.
Farmington scored 4 runs in each of the first two innings to build an 8-0 advantage. With two outs in the third, Cardinal third baseman Ryan Larkin drew a walk, calmly taking a 3-2 pitch for ball four. Blake Putnam drove a pitch that was misjudged and landed in left field. Larkin scored and Putnam turned the error into a triple. Gregg then faced his opposite number at the plate, fouling off a Holman pitch to fall behind 0-2 in the count. Gregg then battled back to even the count at 2-2, before blasting a home-run over the left field wall that drove in Putnam for an 11-0 lead.
When the Cardinals took the field to play defense, they didn't work up a sweat. Gregg got through the inning throwing only nine pitches. Cole Clark grounded out, then Weston Woodward popped up to Gregg, who easily fielded the ball for the second out. Gregg got Reid Ashlock to hit a line-drive into the glove of the Cardinal shortstop, bringing up the Cardinals in the bottom of the fourth.
Cardinal catcher Tripp Cheney led off the fourth with a single. Holman next recorded his only strike-out of the game, but gave up a 2-run homer to Drake Vineyard. Farmington led 13-0. Holman got out of the inning by throwing out a runner at first, then getting a ground-out.
Gregg made quick work of Clarksville in the top of the fifth, striking out Hayden Koch in 3-straight pitches, fanning Matt Guess in four and catching Braden Nelson looking at a called strike-three.
"We played real well right there," Harper said. "We battled the No. 1 team in 6A, Stillwater, Okla., last Friday (11-10 Farmington loss). They should have been beat. We beat Greenwood (11-5) two nights ago, which is a really good 6A (Ark.) team."
We're fixing to go on a big road-trip down to Gulf Shores, Ala. We need a win sending us off. They did a great job."
Sports on 03/22/2017