All The Right Moves

OSNES CELEBRATES 500 WINS

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington coach Randy Osnes, shown coaching third base while Carley Antwine poises herself to race home against Harrison in an 8-1 victory on April 4, quietly achieved a milestone with his 500th career win April 1 over Conway. Osnes has been head coach at Farmington since 1998. He has guided the Lady Cardinals to state championships in 2000, 2005 and 2011, three state runner-up finishes in 2001, 2002 and 2003, plus 18 conference championships. As of Friday, the Lady Cardinals’ 2017 record stands at 16-7.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington coach Randy Osnes, shown coaching third base while Carley Antwine poises herself to race home against Harrison in an 8-1 victory on April 4, quietly achieved a milestone with his 500th career win April 1 over Conway. Osnes has been head coach at Farmington since 1998. He has guided the Lady Cardinals to state championships in 2000, 2005 and 2011, three state runner-up finishes in 2001, 2002 and 2003, plus 18 conference championships. As of Friday, the Lady Cardinals’ 2017 record stands at 16-7.

FARMINGTON -- Randy Osnes has the opposite disposition of the vanity of Tom Cruise, yet the Farmington skipper knows how to make all the right moves.

Osnes is humble, not disclosing he reached 500 wins as head of the Farmington softball program, an achievement that came April 1 with a 5-4 win over Conway in a tournament hosted by the Wampus Cats, until senior night was celebrated Friday.

Osnes has been head coach at Farmington since 1998. He has guided the Lady Cardinals to state championships in 2000, 2005 and 2011, three state runner-up finishes in 2001, 2002 and 2003, plus 18 conference championships. As of Friday, the Lady Cardinals' 2017 record stands at 16-7.

Yet, for all of his humility, Osnes isn't afraid to coach when the game is on the line. He's decisive. The Farmington skipper, now in his 20th season at the helm of Lady Cardinal softball, made a host of late game moves that paid off as Farmington rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the sixth inning to post a 5A/6A District-1 win over Greenwood Friday.

The comeback started when Callie Harper made contact driving a flyball into right field. The ball was bobbled and Harper reached first safely, where Osnes inserted Kally Stout in her place as a pinch-runner. Junior Carley Antwine was up next and with a swift stroke of the bat erased the deficit, hitting a 2-run homer over the right field wall staking Farmington to a 2-1 lead.

Alyssa Reed grounded out and Anna Bennett had a bunt pop up that was held aloft by the wind long enough for Greenwood's third baseman to come up and make a catch for the second out, but Osnes wasn't done yet.

He sent Paige Anderson in as a pinch-hitter for Madison Parrish. Anderson patiently drew a walk on 4-straight pitches from Greenwood starter, Kaila Cartwright, who had been strong. Greenwood coach Ronnie Sockey came out to the mound, but didn't pull Cartwright after the walk.

With Farmington starter Paige Devecsery batting, Osnes re-inserted Parrish as the base-runner on first. Devecsery battled back from a 1-2 count as Parrish stole second when the pickoff throw was dropped. Devecsery hit a grounder that was juggled just enough for her to reach first. Meanwhile, Parrish was motoring home to score an insurance run and put the Lady Cardinals up two runs, at 3-1.

When McKenzi Bogan came up to bat, Osnes once more switched base-runners, sending Kaylee Purifoy in. Bogan reached on an error and Lady Cardinal fans were excited, realizing momentum had taken a turn in Farmington's favor. Greenwood was able to end the inning by fielding a grounder and recording a force-out at second.

Greenwood threatened in their final at-bat in the top of the seventh. Rheding Wagoner struck out, but the pitch was dropped and she beat a throw to first. Hannah Booker was hit by a pitch bringing Osnes out to the mound to restore Devecsery's confidence after she hung her head. Ericka Calderon laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third. Sockey came out to argue that the out shouldn't count, allegeding a foot came off the bag on the throw to first and claiming both umpires were concentrating on a play at third and out of position to make the call at first.

Not hearing what he wanted, Sockey exclaimed, "Are you kidding me?"

And the officials socked it to him. Sockey was confined to the dugout, forcing Greenwood to move their first base coach to third and bring in another coach at first.

Devecsery then came up with two huge outs, inducing a fly-out to right field with a quick reaction and catch holding the runners. With two on and two down, the game came down to players wearing opposite jerseys, No. 9 for Farmington, Devecesry on the mound; against No. 9 for Greenwood, senior Sydney Parker, in the batter's box. Devecsery won the duel when Parker flied out to center field to end the game with Farmington winning, 3-1.

Sports on 04/19/2017