No bunting at New Prague
4-5, 2B, 3R, 2RBI
(photo by Jim Lindquist)
Early in the week in back-to-back losses to Chaska and Northfield, the Tiger offense was nowhere to be found. Thursday night at New Prague it scored runs in bunches but it still wasn't enough in a 20-15 shootout loss to the Trojans.
The trio of losses dropped Farmington's season record to 3-12; 2-9 n Missota Conference play.
"We need to do the little things to win ball games and we're not," coach Mike Winters said. "We also need to be less selfish and focus on the team and the plays at hand."
The locals started the week with a 7-0 shutout road loss Tuesday at Chaska in which they managed just four hits.
Tiger starter Jonathan Ellis took the pitching loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings. Andy Morris allowed an unearned run in two innings of relief.
The next afternoon at Tiger Field the pitching duo of Nathan Graham and Zach Wallace surrendered just five hits (3 of them bunts)but the Raiders made the most of them building a 5-0 lead after five and a half innings on the way to a 7-2 win.
The Farmington offense matched Northfield's five hits but couldn't string any together, scoring its only runs in the fifth and seventh innings.
The sluggish bats came to life in New Prague as the visitors plated five runs in their first trip to the plate on a pair of walks and base hits by Spencer Merle, Sebren Baer, John Stibal and Wallace.
Unfortunately, the Trojans countered with a 10-spot in the bottom of the inning to take a five-run lead. They added six more scores in the home half of the third to pull ahead 16-5.
To their credit, the Tigers battled back, scoring nine runs from the fourth through the sixth innings. The big inning came in the fourth when the visitors scored five times on an error and hits by Dayne Eich, Jake Baskerville, Stibal, Wallace and Merle.
Wallace had a big day at the plate, going 4-5 with two runs-batted-in and three runs scored to pace the Farmington 16-hit attack. Zak Payne, Nick Newman, Eich, Merle and Stibal each collected two hits. Merle and Sebren Baer each smacked triples.
Starter Ty Vincent lasted just a third of an inning and took the pitching loss. Colton Luskey, Morris and Wallace followed him to the hill but without much success.
"Not a pretty game," Winters said. Lots of hits, errors and runs. At least the kids battled throughout."
