Riverton and Bingham both took two huge steps toward a 6A state championship rematch.
Top seed Riverton beat Herriman and Lehi in its two game at Valley Complex in Taylorsville on Tuesday, while No. 7 Bingham was even more impressive winning by a combined score 21-0 in a combined 10 innings.
The two teams need just one more win on Wednesday to advance to the 6A championship series beginning on Thursday at BYU.
Riverton will face the winner of Wednesday morning’s Lehi-Herriman game at 12:30 p.m., whereas Bingham awaits the winner of the Pleasant Grove-Mountain Ridge game.
Top seed Riverton will be the favorite regardless of who it plays the rest of the season, and coach Whitley Haimin said her team relishes that challenge.
“That’s something that we’ve really focused on, just having the mindset that pressure is a privilege, right. We love that we have the opportunity to be where we at where we’re at. We know not every single team or player gets the opportunity that we do, but at the same time, we know fully that these kids have earned it, like they’ve worked their butts off their entire lives,” Haimin said.
Riverton made quick work of Herriman in its first game 10-0, but Lehi pitcher Abbi Harroun made things much more difficult in the second game as the Silverwolves only won 3-1.
Riverton was always in control after scoring twice in the first inning, and Peyton Sanchez and Kaelyn Flynn combined to only allow one hit over seven innings to keep Lehi’s hitters off balance.
Despite only scoring three runs against Lehi, coach Haimin said the approach from her hitters at the plate was great all day.
“We’re maybe not getting the outcomes that we want, but we’re having good quality at bats, we’re drawing walks, we’re being disciplined at the plate, maybe just missing a little bit, but and we’re not getting the outcome that we want,” said Haimin.
For Bingham, ace pitcher Brecka Larsen was in the perfect groove on Tuesday.
She struck out 10 batters to lead Bingham to a 11-0 win over No. 2 seed Pleasant Grove in the first game, and then shortly thereafter she struck out eight in an 10-0 win over No. 3 seed Mountain Ridge.
“She was good, and the zones were really pretty tight, so she had to make adjustments. Not that they were horrible, but they were tight, so she was having to make adjustments,” said Bingham coach Mikki Jackson. “I thought the fact that she adjusted to the different strike zones she was throwing to today was pretty big for her, because earlier in the year and previous times, sometimes that would rattle her a little bit, because she wants to take the load on her shoulders.”
In the two games, Larson only allow three total hits.
Bingham swept Mountain Ridge in region play, and it used a four-run third inning to race out to a 5-0 lead against the Sentinels. Larson helped her own cause in the fourth inning with a no-doubter over the right field fence.
Larson has been struggling at the plate as of late, but the timing of her home run was perfect.
“It was boom, so hopefully we opened her bag back up there on the hitting too,” Jackson said.
6A Playoffs
Riverton 10, Herriman 0
Top seed Riverton rolled past region foe Herriman in five innings during the opening game of bracket play in the 6A state tournament on Tuesday. Maggie Hamblin went 3 for 3 with two home runs and three RBIs, while lead-off hitter Peyton Sanchez went 2 for 3 with a home run, double and three RBIs to lead the Silverwolves at the plate. Sanchez earned the win in the circle by only allowing Herriman two hits. Herriman and Riverton split the season series, but Riverton left little doubt about Tuesday’s winner staying in the winners bracket of the 6A playoffs.
Lehi 7, Davis 4
No. 4 seed Lehi scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and then held off a big push from No. 5 seed Davis in the sixth inning to for the 6A bracket play victory. Piper Emery went 3 for 4 for the Pioneers, while Cam Wassmer drove in three runs. Abbi Harroun was in control in the circle striking out 10 for Lehi.
Bingham 11, Pleasant Grove 0
Rian Howland, Brenna Cowley and Gracelyn Lemke all went 3 for 4 as No. 7 seed Bingham pounded out 14 hits as it rollwed past No. 2 seed Pleasant Grove for the 6A bracket play win on Tuesday. Brecka Larson struck out 10 batters and only allowed two walks in five innings to earn the win, while Kendra Hintze struck out the side in relief in the sixth inning. Between the two pitchers, Pleasant Grove only recorded two hits. Shyann Banasky drove in three runs for the Miners.
Mountain Ridge 7, Westlake 3
No. 3 seed Mountain Ridge jumped out fast, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning against No. 6 Westlake, and then tacked on two more runs in the third as it prevailed in its first game of 6A bracket play on Tuesday. Tatyana Toala doubled, homered and drove in three runs, while Kelli Christiansen went 3 for 3 to lead the Sentinels at the plate. Sydney Lambert was dominant in the circle with 13 strikeouts despite walking seven batters.
Bingham 10, Mountain Ridge 0
Brecka Larson tossed her second consecutive shutout in the 6A state tournament Tuesday as Bingham won its second game to move on in the winners bracket. Larson struck out eight eight batters and only allowed one hit over five innings. Larson also helped her own cause with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Shyann Banasky went 2 for 3 at the plate for the Miners with two RBIs.
Riverton 3, Lehi 1
Grace Leary homered and then Londyn Rentmeister drove in a pair of runs as No. 1 seed Riverton survived a tough test against No. 4 seed Lehi to stay in the winners bracket of the 6A state tournament. Peyton Sanchez earned the win for Riverton as she pitched 2 2/3 innings. Kaelyn Flynn pitched 4 1/3 innings and struck out six in relief.
Herriman 5, Davis 2
Sierra Prescott struck out 13 batters and teammate Kinlee McDermaid ripped a two-run homer as the Mustangs outlasted Davis 5-2 in the 6A elimination game on Tuesday. Davis took an early 1-0 lead, but Herriman took a 2-1 lead in the third inning and stretched it to 3-1 after four before taking on two more insurance runs in the seventh. McDermaid and Sofia Lancaster each drove in a pair of runs in the win.
Pleasant Grove 9, Westlake 6
Pleasant Grove scored four runs in the runs bottom of the third inning and then three more in the fifth inning as the No. 2 seed Vikings rallied past No. 6 seed Westlake for the 9-6 win in the 6A state tournament elimination game. Keslie Draney homered in the win for the Vikings.