Desert Mountain softball won the 300th game in its 14-plus varsity seasons Wednesday night by lggging its second victory in the 14th Desert Mountain Softball Invitational. By association, that means coach Rick Sharp is also a 300-game winner.

Sharp, the only head varsity softball coach the school has employed since it opened in the 1995-1996 school year, acquired the milestone win at the tournament he is largely responsible for starting 14 years ago. He was shocked to learn after the game that it was the school's 300th softball win, but pleased to have come out on top in an outing it seemed the Wolves were destined to lose.

"I give this team the freedom to prepare for a game pretty much on their own," Sharp said. "It's got mostly upper classmen. and they are mature. There is not  a lot of drama on the bench. Might have been a little too loosy-goosy tonight. We played a team we beat last week, and they were motivated."

Desert Mountain (11-1) topped one of the better programs in the state in recent years, Corona del Sol. The final score was 6-5, although the Aztecs are in rebuilding mode of sorts. Desert Mountain overcame a 5-0 deficit to post the victory with Sharp using all 14 players and switching between two pitchers (three pitching changes). A throwing error by Corona with two outs in the bottom of the seventh allowed the tying and winning runs to score.

Sharp is a coach. A year-round coach. He's coached  five different sports (wrestling, baseball, basketball and volleyball are the others) in his 35-year career. Many of those he coached at the freshman or junior varsity level. He's coached volleyball and girls basketball the last few  years at Coronado High along with his softball duties at Desert Mountain.

He is easy going. Affable before games. Relaxed at practices if the work is getting done; hard-nosed if it isn't. Intense between the lines. A coach that's respected.

"He's a little of both the relaxed guy and the tyrant at practices," longtime assistant Dave Miller said. "He gauges what he sees.  He's been at it a long time so he has a feel for what each team needs. This team is easy going. Once they go between the lines they are all about softball. I think that's how he sees this team. We've had all kinds of teams."

If one does the math, Desert Mountain is averaging right at 20 wins a season. The Wolves have won six region titles, been to the state tournament semifinals four times and won 30 games in the 2007 season. They won seven games in their first varsity season in 1997.

That win No. 300 came at the tournament Sharp and Desert Mountain started in 1998 was fitting. Sharp loves all  the things that go with the tournament -- free admission for fans, good sponsorship, solid booster club and parents, top competition and most of all a friendly atmosphere. An atmosphere again Wednesday night  from all involved that makes four or five days in late March at Horizon Park feel like one enormous family picnic.