Hurricanes intensify offense to advance in district tourney

By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer

BONNE TERRE — The Farmington Junior American Legion baseball team seemingly pounced on every scoring chance that was enhanced by a Ste. Genevieve mistake on Wednesday night.

The Hurricanes compiled 11 hits against a higher-seeded opponent that had already defeated them twice this summer, and reached the District XIII winner’s bracket final with a 9-3 victory at North County High School.

Doug Warren and Nathan Wulfert each finished 2-for-3 with a double, and Roper Garrett drove in two runs for third-seeded Farmington (27-8), which will face House Springs on Friday at 8 p.m. for a berth in the title game.

Philip Kreitler walked five over four innings and threw a first-pitch ball to 12 of his first 16 batters faced, but persevered for the win by allowing just two hits and striking out five.

Two free passes proved costly for Kreitler in the second when Michael Loida slammed a RBI double to right-center, but Ste. Genevieve stranded two men in scoring position and 11 runners overall.

Farmington countered with three straight singles in the third off starter Andrew Bader. An infield hit by Alex Pinkston brought in Warren, and a pivotal throwing error enabled two more runs to score for a 3-1 lead.

Doubles by Wulfert and Warren extended the advantage in the fourth, and the Hurricanes made it 5-2 moments later when a wild third strike induced an errant throw that deflected into right field.

Logan Bradley opened a productive Farmington fifth by ripping an 0-2 pitch into right for a single, and scored the first of three runs when Garrett sliced a RBI single the opposite way. 

Ste. Genevieve loaded the bases with no outs while attempting to rally during its half of the fifth, but Warren surrendered only a sacrifice fly to Christian Moulton in relief for an 8-3 score.

Pinkston closed out the game with three strikeouts in two shutout frames. Farmington completed the scoring when catcher Conner Davault doubled and crossed the plate on Garrett’s RBI ground out.

The Hurricanes received additional singles from Josh Gann, Kyle Warren and Brandon Kearns.

Zach Weiler delivered a double and two walks from the clean-up spot, and Nolan Carrow added a single with two runs scored for Ste. Genevieve, which turned the game’s lone double play.