COLCHESTER - Farmington sent 17 batters to the plate in the third inning and scored 11 runs enroute to a 17-2 non-conference four-inning victory over West Prairie Thursday afternoon at Friendway Park.
The loss dropped the Cyclones to 7-19 overall, 3-6 in Prairieland Conference play for the season.
The Farmers (15-12, 8-1 Prairieland) scored two runs in the first when Addi Rockhold led off with a single and came around to score on a Sophia Anderson double.
Anderson would later score on a wild pitch by West Prairie starter Macy Branch to make it 2-0.
The Cyclones would threaten in the second when Lindsey Dunn drilled a leadoff double and Alydia Gooden singled one out later to put runners on first and third.
But Maicyn Shipman hit a line-drive back to Farmington pitcher Lydia Overcash who threw to first to double up Gooden and end the inning.
Joelle Herbst led off the third inning outburst for the Farmers with an inside-thepark home run to up the lead to 3-0.
Farmington would pound out 10 total hits in the inning that was aided by two West Prairie errors. Belle Petty, who came on in relief of Branch with one out, struck out Anderson with the bases loaded and Farmington up 15-0.
The Farmers scored twice in the top of the fourth to extend their advantage to 17-0 before the Cyclones’ offense started to come alive in the bottom of the fourth.
Paige Kitch led off with a double and Gooden reached on an error by Anderson in center field.
Overcash would retire the next two batters before Alisa Wilson’s two-run single made it 17-2.
Overcash earned the win for Farmington by allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five.
With regionals starting on Monday, West Prairie head coach Abi Gregg took the loss in stride and tried to put a positive spin on the offensive rally in the last inning.
“We came out pretty strong, then of course, we had our (bad) inning,” said Gregg. “Then, we brought it back again, but it was too late. Hopefully, that’s what we’ll see in regionals.”
West Prairie will face Abingdon-Avon (13-18) in regional semifinal play Wednesday in Abingdon.
