Softball: Settling for second

Emily Berdan drove in all of the Tiger runs with a three-run homer (photo by Jim Lindquist)

 

The Tigers ran out of miracle finishes in a 9-3 loss to Lakeville South Thursday afternoon in the Section 1AAA championship game played at Todd Park in Austin.

The Cougars broke a 3-3 tie with five runs in the third inning to advance to the state tournament for the first time. The runner-up Tigers has represented Section 1 in the state tournament the past two seasons.

"We played hard in the championship game," Farmington coach Paul Harrington said. "We threatened to score with runners on base every inning except the fifth. A few more timely hits and we would have been right there with them. I guess it wasn't our day."

South opened the scoring with a three-run second inning but the Tigers countered with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the frame on a double by Ashley Ibinger, a single by Jordyn Keprios and a three-run homer by Emily Berdan

 

Keprios, Ibinger and Carly Esselman each had a pair of hits to led the eight-hit Farmington offensive attack.

Maddie Muelken went the distance in the circle for the Tigers and absorbed the pitching loss, scattering nine hits.

"We played 20 innings of softball on Tuesday," Harrington said. "Another day of rest before we played in the championship game would have been nice to recuperate physically and mentally. But we are all proud of our girls' efforts and enthusiasm until the final out.

"Lakeville South is a great team and we hope they represent our section well in the state tournament."

With the 4-2 run in the section tournament the Tigers finished the 2014 campaign with a record of 16 wins and nine losses.