Notre Dame uses short game against Farmington to repeat

FARMINGTON – Some of the lightest contact made the heaviest impact on Tuesday as Notre Dame kept the Farmington defense guessing.

The Bulldogs created havoc along the base paths with numerous effective bunts, and defeated the Knights 10-4 to repeat as Class 4, District 1 softball champions.

Jacie Smith homered during a clinching five-run rally in the seventh inning, and finished 2-for-2 overall while teammates Lauren Estes and Heidi LaGrand each added two more hits.

Notre Dame (20-13) avenged a 10-0 loss from the regular season, and eliminated the top two seeds in the bracket while advancing to face Washington (34-1-1) in a state quarterfinal on Saturday.

Farmington (21-8) celebrated a moment of a elation amid its disappointment when senior shortstop Jayce Jarvis broke a single-season program record on the final swing of her varsity career.

Jarvis belted her 13th home run while leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, surpassing the previous mark set last year by Angelia Davis.

A few minutes later, the Knights’ season was done. They outhit the Bulldogs 11-9, unofficially, but stranded eight runners on base and committed five defensive errors.

Notre Dame manufactured its initial run on three ground balls plus a walk, and Estes singled with two outs against Farmington ace Elly Robbins for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Robbins answered with a towering home run off winning pitcher Taylor Kutz in the home half, but the remainder of the game was littered with frustration.

After notching 10 strikeouts in the semifinal round against Festus, the outside edge was less generous for Robbins on Tuesday. The Bulldogs also forced her to charge most of their bunts.

Eloiza Marquez induced a bounced throw that got away, enabling Cierra Landewee to score for a 3-1 edge in the top of the second.

Marquez returned to bat in the fourth, and circled the bases with a runner aboard when her bunt was again thrown away by a spinning Robbins and eluded right fielder Gracie Mann.

Farmington coach Allison Pingel implored her players to regroup during a visit to the circle. Robbins averted further damage in the frame, and soon retired seven consecutive batters.

The Knights drew closer at 5-3 in the fourth inning when Shelby Bowling singled and crossed the plate on an error as Audrie Morgan chopped a ground ball to third base.

But too many other opportunities slipped away. Morgan singled home Bowling in the second, but Mann was picked off at second base by catcher Colleen Jimerson.

Kutz collected three strikeouts while allowing four runs — two earned — on 11 hits, and effectively changed speeds when facing increased danger.

Singles by Jarvis and fellow senior Jocelyn Grimes, who each finished 3-for-4, led off the Farmington fifth before Kutz retired Robbins on a pop up and struck out Jayden Tucker.

Bowling coaxed to walk to load the bases after seeing nine pitches in her previous plate appearance, but Emilee Gillam popped up to Wagoner at shortstop on the next offering.

After neither team produced a base runner in the sixth, Notre Dame put the game out of reach once Smith hammered her two-run shot in the seventh to make it 7-3.

Subsequent hits by Ava Miller and Estes concluded the outing for Robbins, who allowed eight hits and struck out two in the loss.

Three of the next four batters bunted against reliever Avery Graham. LeGrand and Marquez picked up RBI on squeeze plays before Robbins received a throw to first base and alertly threw behind a runner at second for a double play.

Grimes singled after Jarvis went deep, and Bowling punctuated her perfect 3-for-3 performance with a two-out double in the seventh for the Knights.

Notre Dame twice averted potential injuries when defenders collided on a foul ball near near the first-base line in the first inning, along with the Bowling double to left-center.

Farmington will bid farewell to five seniors after posting four straight 20-win seasons.