FARMINGTON SLIPS PAST CENTRAL 2-1

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Cape Central Tigers fought.

Down to the last game, the last inning, the last at-bat, the last pitch.

But Central (14-14) didn't quite have enough as the Farmington Knights (18-7) knocked off the Tigers 2-1 in an intense, well-played Class 4A, District 1 championship game at Wilson Rozier Ball Park Thursday.

"To tell you the truth, I'd rather lose by 10 runs than like this," said Central pitcher Justin Welker, who threw perhaps his best game of the season. "This broke my heart. It broke everybody's heart."

Welker, who has struggled lately, went five-plus innings and allowed two runs on three hits. After walking two and getting out of a jam in the first inning, Welker settled down and walked only one thereafter. He struck out seven.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, John Snider blooped a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Mitch Craft then legged out an infield hit.

Designated hitter Seth Hudson, after fouling off two pitches on 0-2, lined out to center to end the game.

"I'm so proud of our effort today," Central coach Steve Williams said. "I'm proud of the effort, the attitude and the enthusiasm. Everybody was pulling for their teammates. Nothing I can say right now will make them feel better, but those types of things is what will make these guys successful in life."

Both teams had to scratch for runs.

In the fourth inning, No. 1 seed Farmington used a bloop, opposite-field triple down the right-field line and a legitimate RBI double by Paul Grindstaff to score its first run. However, Grindstaff's double wouldn't have happened had Central catcher Dusty Barrows been able to hang on to a foul pop up. It would've been a tough play, with Barrows on a full sprint and trying to catch it over his shoulder, but it gave Grindstaff another life and another pitch.

Central, the second seed, tied the game in the fifth when Jason Chavez doubled to center field and was chased home by a bloop single to center by John Snider.

Farmington, the visitor on the scoreboard, added its second run in the sixth when Welker walked the leadoff batter. Welker was then lifted in favor of Chavez and two outs later Grindstaff provided his second RBI double of the game.

Knights pitcher Justin Holmes baffled Central's hitters all day. Not overpowering, Holmes used good placement to induce several weak pop-ups and grounders.

"He's pitched well all year," Farmington coach Stan Walden said. "We were trying to work in on the hands and mix the curve off the plate. We knew this team had some aggressive hitters."

Holmes went the distance and gave up one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out six.