WASHINGTON TERRACE — Bonneville catcher Shay Jenkins hates the cold weather.
Thankfully for her Laker teammates, there was just enough sun Tuesday afternoon — in between snow and rain showers — to keep Jenkins warm as she helped her team to a 9-8 win against Bountiful.
"I was worried," said Jenkins, who knocked in the Lakers first run with a double and then smashed a grand-slam home run in the fourth to help the Lakers hold on to second place in region play. "I was stiffer than I looked. The weather really affects me."
Because her summer league plays mostly in California, Jenkins isn't used to the wacky winter weather Utah is experiencing this spring.
"I haven't played in weather like this for a really long time," said the BYU-bound senior.
The Braves jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first inning. Then in the bottom of the third inning, Dayna Nichols gave the team a two run lead with a double that scored two of her teammates.
The fourth inning was the most intense as Bountiful loaded the bases, but then Laker pitcher Perri Grilz threw out the second out and struck out the final batter of the inning to hold the Braves scoreless.
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In their at-bat, the Lakers' Jordan Muir took advantage of a walk, and then scored when Grilz walked with the bases loaded. Jenkins hit her grand slam with a full count and two outs to give the Lakers an 8-2 lead.
Bountiful didn't score again until the top of the seventh when Stephanie Holmes knocked in a run and then Haley Austin knocked a shot over the center fielder's head to score two more runs. Austin then scored on Stuart's base hit to tie the game.
Bonneville's Melanie Chase scored the winning run on a throwing error by the Braves.
"We weren't very patient at first," said Bountiful coach Kelly Anderson. "We haven't played in two weeks because of rain-outs and snow-outs. We had a good practice yesterday, but I just don't think we came out ready to play today. We were real flat, I thought."
Bonneville coach Brenda Stauffer felt her team's energy dropped after the Lakers jumped out to an 8-2 lead.
"We've stressed all season that you have to be mentally prepared no matter what the situation," she said. "It's a good lesson for us. You can be 10 runs ahead, but there's no comfort zone."
Both coaches said the erratic weather has made finding consistently good play difficult this spring.
"It's been hard to be inside and then outside," Stauffer said. "One week we'll play two games and then the next week we won't play at all."
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com