ALAMOSA– After surviving an all-SLV district tournament at Adams State College’s baseball stadium, Sargent drew a tough first-round state championship challenge facing Class 2A’s No. 1 seeded Paonia in a first-round game Friday at Hobbs Field in Pueblo at 10 a.m. Friday.

The Farmers (11-10) disposed of Center and Sanford in back-to-back games Friday to advance to the round of 16.

After trailing the Indians 8-6 through five innings Friday, Sargent exploded for five runs in the sixth and six runs in the seventh to power past Sanford, 17-8, outhitting the latter 14-8. The two teams had split in regular season games.

Trevor Milne (.473) led the Farmers all season, followed by Ryan Davis (.459). Jake Deacon and Thad Jackson were the season leaders for the Indians.

Staving off a seventh-inning rally, Sargent beat Center, 9-7, Friday to advance to the championship against Sanford. Davis went 3-for-4 with a triple to lead the Farmers, while Hunter Younkerman was 2-for-3, both triples.

Caption: Sargent’s Ivan Jimenez gets ready to release a pitch in Friday’s district tournament action at Adams State. The Farmers disposed of Center and Sanford to advance to the state round of 16 starting Friday. Courier photo by Keith R. Cerny