PRAIRIE GROVE -- Consecutive errors to start the seventh inning spelled trouble for Prairie Grove as rival Farmington exploded for six runs pulling an 8-3 baseball win out of the fire Thursday.
"They did a really good job against us. The little left-hander [Connor Hubbs] they had really had us off balance all night. The seventh inning we started hitting the ball better and doing some things on the base path that we know that we're capable of," said Farmington coach Jay Harper.
The late rally against Prairie Grove reliever Casey Shipley, who took the loss, was important for the Cardinals (16-5, 7-1) in several ways. First of all, it allowed Farmington to force a three-way tie for first place in the 4A-1 Conference standings along with Shiloh Christian, which the Cardinals defeated 14-11 on April 2, and Harrison, which the Cardinals lost to 4-2 on April 15.
Farmington evened the score at 3-all when Trey Hill scored on a passed ball after reaching on an error and moving to third on Chase Brown's double. Next, Kyson Bridges hit into a fielder's choice with Brown on the run and scoring to push Farmington ahead 4-3. Weston Sills continued the rally by blasting a two-run double. Lawson Devault added an RBI groundout, and Trey Hill capped the scoring with an RBI single.
Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron, appearing in the rivalry for the first time since 2015 after a stint from 2016-2019 at Rogers Heritage, felt the Tigers contributed to their own demise while acknowledging Farmington's tenacity in posturing itself for a comeback.
"Hats off to them, they competed the whole time but it wasn't without our help. Casey gets a ground ball and we don't make the out and then get another ground ball and we don't make the out so two errors to start the inning doesn't help you," Cameron said. "Then they get a little momentum, we don't get the cutoff man and so when it comes down to it, we just didn't play defense."
Shipley homered providing Prairie Grove with a 1-0 lead in the first. Farmington tied the game with a run in the third.
Prairie Grove (16-6, 4-4) threatened two innings previous to the Cardinal rally taking a 3-1 lead in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Shipley and Ryder Orr after Farmington starter Miles Harvey beaned two batters following an out. The Tigers appeared poised to have a big inning, but a peculiar ending to the fifth stopped that.
Jackson Sorters hit into a fielder's choice with Farmington throwing a runner out at second, then Sorters was called out for interference.
Farmington got one run back in the top of the sixth on Tate Sutton's RBI single reducing Prairie Grove's lead to 3-2.
"We were just trying to move runners and get them into position to score and luckily things happened and we get that run. I thought we could have got another run, but we're popping it up too much in this game and that's a credit to them," Harper said. "Getting that run was big and we're glad for the win."
Harvey retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the inning aided by a call against Tate Benoit, whose bunt would have got him to first if he hadn't been ruled out of the box.
Harvey threw six innings striking out seven to pick up the win. Hubbs was solid for Prairie Grove through six innings, limiting the Cardinals to one run while striking out three.
"Miles Harvey did an outstanding job all night. He got himself in a little trouble but for the most part he was in control," Harper said. "Mitch does such a good job over at Prairie Grove that we knew it was going to be a tough game and we're glad to get out with a win."
Shipley drove in two runs on two hits for the Tigers.
Farmington got production from Weston Sills, who drove in two runs, Brown added an RBI, while he, Bridges and Caden Elsik each walked twice in the contest.
April 22, 2021
At Prairie Grove
Farmington 8, Prairie Grove 3
Farmington (16-5, 7-1)^001^001^6^--^8^6^3
Prairie Grove (16-6, 4-4)^100^020^0^--^3^3^3
W -- Harvey, L -- Shipley.