It was a chaotic day during the 4A state tournament on Wednesday, first with a three-hour weather delay, and then shifting to an adjacent softball complex at Spanish Fork.
For No. 1 seed Bear River and No. 2 seed Desert Hills, it just meant they had to wait a little longer to officially book their place in the state championship series — which they eventually did.
The teams square off in Game 1 at BYU at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Lulu West had another composed and dominant performance in the circle on Wednesday, as she struck and eight and only allowed six hits to lead the Thunder to the 4-1 win.
“Lulu did a great job today, she is always pretty composed. Payten Benson does a great job calling pitches for her and our defense was pretty solid after the first inning. We had a couple double plays that gave us tons of momentum,” said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor.
Desert Hills was scheduled to play at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, but with two weather delays, that start time kept getting pushed back. Taylor said her team handled the uncertainty perfectly.
“I felt like the girls did a good job staying present. They really wanted to play today. We got back to the hotel to rest for a little bit and then got the word that we would be playing. The girls were excited and immediately locked in. From the first pitch the dugout was loud and focused and I honestly couldn’t have asked for more even after all the crazy that the day had been,” said Taylor.
Riley Greene in particular was dialed in. She reached based in the first inning and scored the game’s first run, and then she doubled in a pair of runs as part of a three-run third inning that stretched the lead to 4-1.
From there, West shut things down as Desert Hills advanced to the state championship series for the second straight year.
Coaches are famous for throwing around the cliché that it’s hard to beat a team three times. But what about four times? That was no problem for Bear River when it came to playing against region rival Ridgeline.
After beating the Riverhawks twice in region play, Bear River beat them in the 4A playoffs on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday 6-4 to advance to Thursday’s state championship series at BYU beginning at 11 a.m.
“Kudos to Ridgeline. They played a heck of a ballgame,” said Bear River coach Jordan Theurer. “I’m so proud of the girls. They have had their sights on this day for a while now. It’s fun to see hard work pay off for a group of kids.”
Bear River looked in control up 4-1 after four innings, but Ridgeline scored three runs in the fifth to tie it 4-4. The Bears went right back to work and reclaimed the 6-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
“This group has no quit in them. When we get punched, the girls throw the next punch. I’m beyond proud of them and their grit,” said Theurer.
Bella Douglas opened the scoring for Bear River as she launched a two-run homer in the first inning to give her team the early 2-0 lead.
Katelyn Wilson had a great game in the circle for Bear River as she struck out four and only allowed two walks. Ridgeline averaged 12 runs in its previous three playoff games at Spanish Fork Sports Park — including four home runs by Anne Wallace — but Wilson held the defending champs to just four runs and didn’t give up an extra-base hit.
4A elimination games
Ridgeline 16, Payson 6
After a three-hour rain delay on Wednesday, Ridgeline’s bats came alive.
Trailing 4-3 before the delay, the Riverhawks erupted for six runs in the fourth and seven more in the sixth as they rallied for the big 16-6 win over Payson in the 4A elimination game at Spanish Fork Sports Park.
Anne Wallace finished the game going 2-for-3 with two home runs — one of which was a grand slam — and six RBIs. Seven other Ridgeline players drove in runs in the win, as they advanced to face Bear River with a start time nearly four hours later than scheduled because of the weather.
Wallace’s grand slam came in the fourth inning, with two out and Payson leading 5-4. Her opposite-field line drive broke the game wide open.
Ridgeline used three pitchers to secure the victory.
Kylie Jorgensen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
West Field 10, Cedar City 3
West Field built a seven-run lead before a three-hour weather delay on Wednesday, and then after the delay freshman pitcher Brinklee Hadleymade sure it held up as the Longhorns cruised to the 10-3 win in the 4A elimination game.
Neither team scored a run in the final four innings after the delay.
Hadley struck out three and only allowed four hits to lead West Field, which capitalized on four Cedar errors.
Brylee Leatherwood, Ella Doxey and Kam Bell all did the damage at the plate with two RBIs each.
No. 3 seed West Field advanced to play No. 2 seed Desert Hills with the win.