Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Softball Finishes Second In Tourament
FARMINGTON FINISHES SECOND IN ANNUAL TOURNAMENT
FARMINGTON — Bentonville West bashed home run after home run to down Farmington, 8-2, in Saturday’s championship game of the annual Farmington Invitational Softball tournament.
Farmington coach Randy Osnes was not thrilled with the outcome.
“It shouldn’t matter, 6A, 4A, 3A, if you’re going to compete, you’ll compete; and at times we didn’t compete tonight,” Osnes said.
West took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Ryen Rassi hit the first of four home runs by the Lady Wolverines scoring three runs.
West hammered Farmington pitching for three home runs in the second. West senior Alyssa Cordell began the home run derby with a solo shot off Farmington starter McKenzie Bogan. A dropped foul ball allowed Hallie Wacaser to stay alive and she singled into center field making the way for Honesty Holt’s 2-run smash over the left center field wall stretching West’s lead to 6-0.
The homers were eight pitches apart.
Osnes switched pitchers bringing in Addy Cassell but West didn’t cool off. Madison Johnson drove a 2-2 pitch into center field for a single followed by Emily Roberson’s home run blast giving West
eight unanswered runs.
Cassell induced long fly outs by Rassi and Sydney Sneed to get out of the inning.
Farmington’s Alyssa Reed walked to get on base to lead off the top of the fourth. The 70 minute tournament time limit expired, meaning the contest wouldn’t continue unless Farmington could produce eight runs in the inning.
Farmington’s offense came when Grace Boatright homered for the Lady Cardinals in their last at-bat.
The 2-run shot gave Farmington new life and cut the deficit to 8-2 with no outs.
Osnes noted, “She has hit six (home runs) for us this year in nine games.”
The next two batters got aboard for Farmington. Madison Parrish hit a single over first base that stayed fair and freshman Remington Adams poked a double that bounced past West’s shortstop posturing two Lady Cardinals in scoring position at second and third.
Farmington fans recalled a four home run game all by different Lady Cardinal batters against Cabot in the Central Arkansas Softball Shootout March 8 and hoped for the best, but that didn’t happen.
“We should have done that tonight against that bunch right over there (Bentonville West), but they’re better than we are,” Osnes said.
Back-to-back strike-outs and a fly ball caught by West’s shortstop ended the game with West winning, 8-2, to claim the championship trophy.
Elise Sokolsky earned the win for West. She pitched three innings, striking out three batters. Allison Cowart threw the last inning in relief allowing 2 runs on 1 hit, Boatright’s home run.
Bogan took the loss for the Lady Cardinals surrendering four hits and six runs over through 1.3 innings with a pair of strike-outs. The defeat was Farmington’s first setback of the season. The Lady Cardinals take an 8-1 record into spring break.