Heating Up

RAIDERS KEEP SIZZLING, PUNISH THURSTON ON THE DIAMOND

The North Farmington baseball team is looking to make some noise this season.

Sporting a 4-1 overall record out of the gate, second-year skipper Mike O'Connell and his Raiders are off to a good start.

On Wednesday, North Farmington's diamond cutters hosted Redford Thurston in a non-conference affair and crushed the visiting Eagles 13-4.

Junior Bobby Lett kept up his recent personal hot streak, posting the win from the rubber by pitching a 3-hitter with 4 strikeouts.

Back on Monday, Lett slugged the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to send the Raiders to a miraculous 9-8 come-from-behind victory against intra-city rival Farmington.

Batting around its order in the second inning Wednesday, North Farmington went in front 5-0. Thurston cut its deficit to 5-3 in the third inning, but would get no closer. The Raiders added a run in their half of the third and five more runs in the fifth and sixth.

David Lett, North Farmington's starting shortstop and Bobby's little brother, went a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with 2 RBI to help his sibling's cause from the mound. The younger Lett, only a sophomore, first made a name for himself on the local prep scene this past winter, showing his merit on the hardwood as a gritty and efficient forward on the Raiders basketball team.

Jonny Deutsch and Brandon Griffith also had big outings from the plate versus Thurston. Deutsch, the team's second baseman, went 2-for-4 with a game-high 4 RBI and Griffith, who starts at first base, went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Defensively, the infield tandem of Lett, Deutsch and Griffith turned a double play to end the contest in highlight-worthy fashion.

North Farmington hits the field next on Friday when the Raiders travel to defending league champion Birmingham Groves for their next game.

It's been nine years since North Farmington last won a league title.