SPRINGVILLE — Springville took the early four-run lead and then came back in the bottom of the sixth for the 12-6 win over Olympus in the first round of the 4A softball playoffs.
"It was a typical first state game," said Springville coach Suzette Hartvigsen. "With nerves and ups and downs, it was all over the place."
The first five innings went to form and what looked like a formidable Springville lead as the Red Devils used a single by McKenna Nielsen, her first of three hits in the game, and two Titan errors to put two runs across the plate. They backed it up in the second as Laura Penrod ran home on another Olympus error, giving the Red Devils three runs without an RBI.
Another two hits and yet another error scored Springville's fourth run of the game, and it appeared to be well in hand for the Red Devils as Springville pitcher Lacey Long was setting the Titans down in order regularly.
But that was before the rain stopped and the sixth inning began. The two teams scored 14 runs combined in the sixth, and 24 batters stepped up to the plate.
"It was an ugly top of the sixth and a great comeback in the bottom of the sixth," said Hartvigsen. Her team gave up six walks, two hits and six runs in the top of the sixth before it finally found a way to get out of the inning 12 batters later.
"We've never given that many walks away. That many in one inning was a little frustrating," noted Hartvigsen, who used three pitchers in the inning to try to find someone who could record an out. Natalie Nance finally gained the victory.
Olympus pitcher Jani Salmond and shortstop Brianne Allen both smacked singles in addition to the six walks to take the 6-4 lead and what appeared to be the momentum.
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But they weren't ready for the Springville bats in the bottom of the inning. The Red Devils knocked in six hits en route to their eight runs before time expired.
"We'd seen her pitch a few times (by that point in the game), and so the girls sat back on the ball and crushed it," explained Hartvigsen.
Nesha Simpson started off the Springville half of the sixth with a single to left just past the diving shortstop, and Kailey Reed followed almost immediately with another hit to the same spot, setting up the makings of a big inning.
Keri Wilson, Nielsen and Tobler all followed with singles for the suddenly red hot Red Devil bats, and Reed finished it off with her third hit of the game as she tripled to deep left field, batting in the 12th run and completing the game as time expired.