FARMINGTON -- Farmington (15-2, 5-0 4A-1) applied strategic blows hammering away at Bentonville West's psyche until the Lady Wolverines (14-2, 7-1 6A West) went down 8-4 in nonconference softball action Friday.
A principle part of Farmington coach Randy Osnes' effective tactics involved intentionally walking West leadoff hitter Hallie Wacaser, a Florida State recruit, four times.
"McKenzie Bogan executed the game plan as well as any pitcher we've had for a long time. Bentonville West is a great hitting ball club on top of the 6A West. It's a quality win for us," Osnes said. "Wacaser is a Florida State commit. We're going to make someone else beat us. I told her after the game that our strategy was to intentionally walk her every time. We're trying to win the game. I think she understood that."
The only time West was able to capitalize came in the second inning when the Lady Cardinals put Wacaser on as a second base runner with one out.
Alyssa Cordell doubled into left center driving in a run moving Wacaser to second. Honesty Hope followed with an RBI single that went over second landing in shallow center giving West a 4-1 lead.
Bogan played a key role in Osnes' strategy. She fielded a line drive by Emily Roberson and induced Ryen Rassi to pop up to Paige Anderson playing third base for Farmington to get out of the inning.
In the top of the third Wacaser was waved out to first to load the bases after Bogan scooped up a ground ball and threw out Carlee Durham for the second out. Cordell swung at a 1-0 pitch and popped up to Bogan in the chalked circle for the third out.
Earlier in the inning West starter Emma Wood had a 1-2 pitch hit her on the hand while batting for the first out.
Wood stayed in the game and pitched giving up 3 runs on 3 hits in the bottom of the third.
Farmington's Cambre Strange gamely stared down a 1-2 pitch and stroked a leadoff single past the diving attempt of West's second baseman. Eliana Marano bunted her way on to put two runners aboard for first baseman Kally Stout.
Stout, who is 29-for-64 hitting .464 on the season, took the first pitch and blasted her seventh home run of the season out of the ballpark to tie the game, 4-4.
"I see pitches better and I'm more confident after I started hitting better this season," Stout said. "I'm just trying to get base hits, not like trying to hit it out and doing what I've been taught to do."
West coach Anthony Cantrell came out to talk to Wood, who retired the next three batters in order, but she wouldn't last another inning. Wood surrendered 4 runs on 2 hits aided by 2 West errors and a walk to Anderson as Farmington took control seizing an 8-4 lead in the fourth.
She was replaced by Wacaser.
Bogan made Farmington's lead hold up as she went the distance scattering 6 hits over 7 innings with 6 walks including 4 to Wacaser and striking out 4.
Wood took the loss allowing 8 runs on 7 hits with 2 strike-outs.
On March 16, Bogan gave up 3 home runs while allowing 6 runs on 4 hits during an 8-2 loss to West in the championship of the Farmington Invitational.
"Since then we've worked a lot on hitting spots and zoning in. Today I went into the game with the mentality that I knew what to do to be better since I pitched them last time," Bogan said. "I knew how to take care of it and I knew how to get it done. My defense they really won this game tonight, especially on some of those big plays that we needed."
Anderson twice caught balls in foul territory from her third base position.
"We practice all the time. Those are just routine plays and they help us in a game. That's why we practice it," Anderson said. "We were very well prepared."
Sports on 04/17/2019