FARMINGTON -- Those, who heard a familiar voice, weren't imagining things during Farmington's battle against Greenbrier that decided the 2018 State 5A softball championship Saturday.
Greg Squirrel, of Farmington, celebrated a decade of announcing the state softball finals sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association this past weekend at Benton.
It's no secret Squirrel regularly works Farmington home games adding a vocal dimension to the experience for fans attending Lady Cardinal games. His dynamic delivery is professionally crafted, the sort of which Farmington head coach Randy Osnes prefers to associate himself with in maintaining standards of excellence across-the-board throughout the program.
Bogle Park, home of the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks, typically serves as site of the state finals, which is nothing more than a hop, skip, and jump down the road for Squirrel. But when the Arkansas Activities Association announced a change of venue Sunday, May 13, less than a week before the finals with participating teams already decided, including Farmington versus Greenbrier for the 5A State championship Saturday morning, Squirrel wasn't sure he would be invited.
At first the AAA announced the finals would be hosted by the University of Central Arkansas, at Conway; but that changed overnight with UCA agreeing to host the NISC or National Invitational Softball Championships. So, after having two college tournaments upstage tournament sites, on the morning of Monday, May 14, the AAA turned to Benton High School's sports complex to host the finals.
Although the AAA called telling him his services would be tapped and he needed to be in Benton Friday and Saturday, the end result was bittersweet for Squirrel.
"This week I have had a love/hate relationship with the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks," Squirrel said, speaking during a pep rally for the Lady Cardinals sponsored by the Softball Booster Club Thursday, "Because as much as I wanted to see the Lady Razorbacks win the Regional even more I wanted to see these ladies win the state championship at Bogle Park."
Squirrel was six players into the roster when he hesitated.
Typically, he mixes the music blaring out songs selected by each Farmington batter when they come to the plate. Thursday, Squirrel admitted he is so accustomed to speaking over the soundtrack that it felt different making introductions without it.
"It's kind of weird not having their music going as I'm (introducing them)...," Squirrel said.
Still, he had fun personalizing descriptive highlights, pumping up the crowd boasting of the team leader in home runs with seven.
"Senior catcher Alyssa Reed, doing a good job behind home plate and smashing some home runs that still haven't landed," Squirrel said.
After introducing sophomore Keely Stout, who wears No. 19, two players later Squirrel came to her twin sister, "...and it's Stout number two, No. 21 Kally Stout...!"
When it was senior Carley Antwine's turn, Squirrel reverted to his home run hijinks, "Another one that's hit a couple of home runs...We still think they're within the state limits of Arkansas...We're not quite sure because they haven't landed yet...senior second baseman Carley Antwine!"
Squirrel compared the base-running skills of No. 25 Eliana Marano, a junior left fielder, to a classic Looney Tunes animated character. Squirrel proclaimed, "If they did a live action version of Speedy Gonzales, they would get this girl to play Speedy Gonzales."
Marano came into the state championship with 10 stolen bases and posed a threat to bunt her way on base every time she came up.
For each Lady Cardinal highlight, Squirrel celebrated in the announcer's booth.
Sports on 05/23/2018