Farmington Defeats Pattonville to Win Wood Bat Tournament

(Farmington) The Farmington Knights took on the Pattonville Pirates in the final game of the Farmington Wood Bat Tournament this afternoon and came away with a 3-2 victory to take home the tournament crown. Tyler Hampton got the ball as the starting pitcher on short notice and was sensational, tossing five innings with one unearned run and striking out nine batters.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 4th, Hunter Pierce strode to the plate with a runner on third base and nobody out to put the Knights on the board.

A walk to the next batter put runners on first and second, and Owen Tripp dropped down a bunt that wound up being thrown into right field.

Grant Higgenbotham smacked an RBI base hit later in the inning to extend the lead to 3-1, and that was all the offense Farmington would need as Chad Silvey came on in relief and shut the door. He did allow a run to score in the top of the 6th but held strong to finish off two innings of work and added three strikeouts as the Knights held on for a 3-2 victory.

After the game, Knights head coach Scott Hibbits talked a little bit about why Hampton’s effort out on the mound had even more meaning than just being a terrific spot start.

The 8-13 Knights now set their eyes on the looming conference tournament. Farmington got a great draw as the four seed of the M-triple-A tournament and have a bye before playing the winner of Arcadia Valley and Valley Caledonia Monday afternoon. Coach Hibbits says he told his team that responsibilities stay the same this time of year but they have to capitalize on their opportunities.

Regional Radio will have coverage of the M-triple-A Conference Tournament semifinals Thursday and the third place and championship games on Saturday.

Full Game Audio:

Full Interview with Coach Hibbits: