By Patrick Dillon
Special to the Sun-Gazette
Lindsay – The Lindsay baseball team finished behind co-champions Woodlake and Sierra
Pacific in the highly competitive East Sequoia League.
Playing tough competition and even holding their own with three wins against those two teams, the Cardinals felt they had a chance to make a run in the Central Section
Division VI playoffs.
No. 3 Lindsay was true to its seed with a dominant 11-2 victory over No. 6 Farmersville on May 19 in Lindsay.
Fresh off their first-round win over Orange Cove, the Aztecs looked to get revenge against the Cardinals for an earlier season loss.
The Cardinals would have none of that revenge with aggressive base running being the name of the game. And along with Alfredo Vasquez on the mound, Lindsay dismantled Farmersville.
“We just do what the pitcher gives us,” said Lindsay Coach Brett Kendig. “We are trying to be aggressive. Simple as that.”
That aggressive play had Lindsay batters swinging and making contact early. Through the first two innings Lindsay accounted for five singles, a double and a triple by Jake Reeves.
Once on base it seemed like a given that Kendig was going to give his runners the signal to steal.
With the aggressive base running Farmersville pitcher Gabriel Williamson had two things to worry about.
“Poor Gabe, he just didn’t have his best day,” said Farmersville Head Coach Freddie Lopez. “He wasn’t fast enough home and he was high on his kick.”
Taking full advantage, Lindsay jumped out to a 7-0 lead, which allowed Vasquez to settle into a rhythm on the mound. Getting seven strikeouts in the game, his motion seemed effortless at times as he his dispatched one Aztec batter after another.
Lindsay played Kern Valley in the Division VI semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
