Brooke Snell was pretty emphatic when her coach asked if she needed a pinch hitter to take her place at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied.
"She said, 'No, I'll get it done'," said Spanish Fork coach Don Andrews after the Dons defeated Murray 2-1 in one of the day's most exciting 4A state tournament games. Snell came through big with a single that drove in the game-winning run, teammate Mele Valtohi, who got on base with a huge triple.
Andrews saw those hits as critical, along with a defensive play in the top of the sixth inning. Spartan catcher Shaylee Cannon smacked a fly to right field that went over the fielder's head. As she sped around the bases, Lorin Thurgood got the ball to Treasa Barney, who made a long, hard and very accurate throw to Dons' catcher Amy Morris.
Morris then stood in front of Cannon as the two collided and managed to hang onto the ball despite bruising her leg badly in the collision. The out was the second, and proved to be the difference.
"That was huge," Andrews said smiling. "She hit the ball well, and we fielded it well."
Murray coach Lisa Parker said the out was her fault and she shouldn't have sent Cannon. The team's other run was scored by an in-the-park home run by Felicia Romney and she scored as the ball went sailing past Morris.
"I thought she could beat the throw," Parker said. "It was a great hit; it was a great throw. It was just a dumb coaching error, and I take full responsibility for it. I just got greedy."
Snell said the Dons were motivated by more than just a desire to stay in the winner's bracket. The team heard some Murray players on the radio Monday suggesting that Spanish Fork pitcher Bridgett Miller needed to bring her best game.
"They were popping off on the radio, and that definitely helped us," Snell said. "We didn't play our A game, but we played good enough and we played together."
Snell said she wouldn't have traded her position for anything.
"I play better under pressure," she said. "I was kind of nervous at first, but that's what you work hard all season for — to be in a position to win the game."
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com