SPANISH FORK — Tina Ferguson left little doubt about just how badly she wanted to beat Region 4 rival and No. 1-ranked Pleasant Grove when she led off the game for Spanish Fork and belted a home run to give her team a 1-0 lead.
The No. 2 Dons never trailed after that, playing very well to defeat the only team ranked ahead of them in 5A and hand the Vikings their first loss of the season 10-3.
"We'll take it any time Tina will give it for us," said Spanish Fork coach Don Andrews after his leadoff hitter knocked the ball straight out of the park. "She does that for us sometimes. We like for her to hit it where no one can catch it."
And Andrews enjoyed the rest of the team's hitting prowess throughout the game, as well, as his team only needed eight hits to score its 10 runs, left only five runners on base and picked up four extra-base hits, including a solo long ball in the third inning that Lea Adamson thundered over the center field fence to extend her team's lead to 6-1.
"When Lea goes up there with confidence, I wouldn't want to be standing on the dirt," said Andrews about yet another of his team's huge hitters.
"We've come a long way. We've been working hard at hitting and working hard at fielding, but you know they've gotta have talent too," Andrews noted about his team.
Kylie Bufton added a double to her team's extra-base hit total, as did third baseman Ashley Allred, who was manning the eighth spot in the batting order for the Dons.
"When you can get production from the bottom of the order, it doesn't hurt," said Andrews, whose teams are known for their depth and lack of holes.
And the Dons weren't playing just any old team and defeating it by seven runs, either. Pleasant Grove had been playing tough teams and winning all season long until it ran into the brick wall the Dons put up.
The Vikings were able to put together seven hits but only turned them into three runs while stranding six. It was the Dons who were able to turn mental mistakes and errors into runs and make the Vikings pay for every little lapse they had.
"We had a good win against a good team. What's really encouraging to me is that we can play better," said Andrews.
Ferguson finished with a home run, a single and three RBIs to lead her team from the batter's box, but she also called a decent game from behind the plate in the catcher's position. Dezlee Roberts only allowed the three runs from a tough-hitting opponent.
Sammi Dodson, Cassie Allen and Camille Lines each managed doubles off of Roberts, and each picked up one of the team's three RBIs, but the Vikings had to work hard for every base they took.
Spanish Fork now finds itself at 3-0 in Region 4, while Pleasant Grove falls to 2-1. The Region 4 teams are all finding every game even more important than usual as so many solid teams are now fighting for only three playoff spots this year.
E-mail: jolsen@desnews.com