Here’s a recap of the eight 5A softball state tournament games at the Valley Complex in Taylorsville on Tuesday.
5A Playoffs
Salem Hills 7, Taylorsville 3
After No. 8 seed Taylorsville went ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, top seed Salem Hills exploded with three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to avoid the upset and advance in the winners bracket of the 5A state tournament on Tuesday. Emmery Wilson kicked started the rally finishing the game with 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs, but it was Keyana Murray’s monster three-run homer over the right field fence that pushed the lead to 7-2 and put the game out of reach for Taylorsville. Jocile Norman struck out seven in the win for Salem Hills.
Box Elder 10, Olympus 2
Kennadie Blackmer, Lucy Griffin, Alexis Hales and Kailee Hall all homered, with Blackmer and Hales also doubling and combing for five RBIs as No. 4 seed Box Elder made quick work over No. 5 seed Olympus for the 5A state tournament win on Tuesday. Hales finished 3 for 3 at the plate, with Blackmer going 3 for 4. Lucy Braegger struck out 11 batters to earn the win for Box Elder as she improved to 15-1 on the season.
Maple Mountain 13, Bountiful 9
Brettlyn Walker, Brinley Cherrington and Daphnee Pagano all doubled to lead No. 7 Maple Mountain to the 5A state tournament upset victory over No. 2 seed Bountiful. Maple Mountain led 5-0 after two innings, and then after watching Bountiful cut the lead to 8-7 after four innings, it responded with two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to clinch the win. Walker went 3 for 5 with five RBIs. Miller went 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the loss for Bountiful.
West Jordan 7, Springville 4
Rita Tavita, Ajdrea Tagovailoa, Latiana Fifita and Hailey Fox all smashed home runs for No. 3 West Jordan as they overcame a 4-2 deficit in the middle of the fifth to rally for the 7-4 victory to stay in the winners bracket of the 5A state tournament. Tagovailoa and Fox hit back-to-back home runs in the decisive fifth inning for the Jaguars. Tavita earned the win, striking out four.
Salem Hills 11, Box Elder 7
Top seed Salem Hills’ power surge against No. 4 seed Box Elder has the Skyhawks on the verge of a 5A championship series appearance. Salem Hills had four extra base hits against Box Elder, all home runs, including a walk off grand slam from Leila Stevenson as Salem Hills beat Box Elder in a 5A winners bracket game. Emmery Wilson, Audree Stokes and Keyana Murray all hits dingers in the win as well. Salem Hills trailed 7-6 after five innings, but tied the game in the sixth and then Stevenson hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game.
No. 2 seed Bountiful bounced back from a surprising loss earlier in the day against No. 7 Maple Mountain to beat No. 6 Springville in a 5A elimination game to keep its season alive another day. The Redhawks scored a single run in the second, third and fourth innings and then held off a late push from Springville to preserve the win.
West Jordan 3, Maple Mountain 2
West Jordan is one win away from playing in the 5A state championship series. The No. 3 seed Jaguars rode the arm of Rita Tavita to a winners bracket 3-2 victory over No. 7 seed Maple Mountain. West Jordan jumped ahead 2-0 in the third inning on an Athena Tagovailoa two-run homer. After Maple Mountain tied things up in the fourth inning, Taylor Hughes drove in the winning run in the sixth inning for West Jordan. Tavita picked up her second in of the day by striking out eight batters.
Olympus 10, Taylorsville 8
In a wild back-and-forth 5A elimination game, Olympus overcame an early 6-0 deficit by scoring eight runs in the bottom of the second and then pitcher Charlie Turner kept Taylorsville scoreless over the final four innings to keep the Titans season alive for another day. Jaedin Mugleston went 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Olympus offense.