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| Toni Hunsinger awaits the next pitch in the 9-6 win over Chaska (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
The win kept the Tigers in a first place tie in the Missota Conference with a 9-2 record with three games remaining on the league schedule.
"Both pitchers were throwing in the rain with a wet ball in the first inning," Tiger coach Paul Harrington said of the less-than-ideal playing conditions.
"We battled through the rain without giving up a run and they (Chaska) struggled a bit and we got two runs out of it."
Both of the Tigers runs in the opening frame came on a pair of wild pitches.
The winners put the game away with a seven-run third inning that featured triples by Brooke Searles and Ashley Betzold, singles by Allie Rice and Taylor Haakana, a pair of walks and two Chaska errors.
The nine-run cushion held until the sixth when the Hawks got to Tiger pitcher Ashley Betzold for six runs to make things interesting.
"We had a chance to put them a way and we didn't," Harrington said. "We lost our composure a bit but we finally came back and shut them down in the last inning."
Betzold went the distance in posting her 10th win of the season and also led the offense, going 3-4 with a run batted in.
The Tigers travel to New Prague on Thursday for a Missota Conference contest and then close the league season next Tuesday and Thursday versus Chanhassen and Red Wing. A sweep of the three games would give Farmington at least a share of the conference crown.
This Friday the Tigers take a step out of their conference routine to take on Rochester Century and Owatonna in Rochester.
