FARMINGTON — Farmington High’s softball team had to go through five batters until it recorded an out against Weber in the top of the first inning Thursday. The Phoenix found itself down 4-0 with one out in the first, and that’s usually a recipe for a long day.

Instead, a two-run homer by BYU-bound pitcher Delaney Baker in the bottom of the first put Farmington on the board and sparked a turnaround that eventually resulted in a 7-4 win over the Warriors.

The win by the Phoenix (10-6, 8-2 Region 1) keeps pressure on first-place Fremont as the softball season enters its final weeks.

After a leadoff double by Kendall Strasburg, Jersey Coggins singled Strasburg home for a 1-0 Weber lead. Ellie Nielson’s bloop single scored the second run.

A wild pitch by Baker brought in another run. Brailee Avner fouled out to deep left field for the first out of the game, but she hit it deep enough to bring in Weber’s fourth run of the inning.

“I think our girls knew, first time, that Weber’s a great team, so we needed to come out strong and we kind of came out a little not as sharp in the first inning,” FHS coach Jasey Fatongia said.

But after that first inning, Baker shut out the Warriors and conversely, the Phoenix scored four runs in the first and three in the second.

Farmington totaled just five base hits Thursday but took advantage of four walks, a hit batter and three Weber errors just two days after losing 8-3 at Fremont in a game it committed eight errors.

Baker blasted a two-run homer to center field to cut the Weber lead to 4-2. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hadley Eichmeier sniped a two-run single just inside the third-base line.

Courtney Christiansen’s infield hit in the second made it a 5-4 Farmington lead, then a wild pitch by Strasburg and a throwing error by the catcher, Nielson, allowed two more runs.

“With our team, they know what to do and what their job is and I didn’t really have to say too much. We have to score anyway,” Fatongia said.

On the pitching side, Baker sat Weber batters down in order in the second, third and fifth innings. The Warriors had chances to score in the sixth and seventh but didn’t convert, perhaps emblematic of not winning to draw level with Fremont in the region standings.

“It’s always a little bit stressful when you’ve got an inning where somebody jumps on you early, but I think what helped is us coming back and answering back, it eases pitchers quite a bit,” Fatongia said.

Farmington, a game behind Fremont (8-1) in the region standings, plays the wait-and-see game with regards to the region race, which is in Fremont’s hands the rest of the way.

“You know, it would be nice, but softball is a game of up and downs. Right now our focus is playing strong and finishing region the best that we can,” Fatongia said.

Weber may be 7-2 in the region and now in third place, but the Warriors have more control in the title race than Farmington because they still play Fremont (8-1) again on May 10.

There are two region games before that showdown and another twist in the title race may yet happen.

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