Desert Hills outfielder Bailey Lee (17) makes a catch for an out against Orem during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Desert Hills entered the day as the top seed, and it ended the day looking like it. In Wednesday’s state tournament games, the Thunder got a 6-0 win over Orem and a 8-0 win over Sky View.
Their defense wasn’t perfect, but it played strong enough to not let up a single run.
“We definitely made errors, but our defense is solid,” said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor. “Our defense is confident and that’s one thing that I love about the girls, they made an error but then went and got a double play the next ball.”
The defense was strong from the start, but the offense was not. The Thunder had only a 1-0 lead after the second inning, and didn’t break away until the fourth, where they scored five runs.
The clear offensive standout was Riley Greene, who had four RBIs with a home run and a double.
“I always tell the girls I trust them after they’ve been through the lineup one time,” Taylor said. “Seeing a pitcher one time, I don’t think anybody does a better job than them. They just make those adjustments and they see the ball really well.”
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Deseret Peak head coach Blake Hervat, center left, and other coaches and players celebrate their team’s victory over Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Bear River's Phoenix Barnett (23) celebrates her run against Dixie with Marley Tisdol (16) during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Desert Hills first baseman Rylee Rodriguez (00) celebrates turning a double play against Orem during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak infielder Hennecie Noel (10) makes a catch for an out against Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Bear River's Londyn Gamble (10) slides to successfully steal home plate against Dixie during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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A Bear River coach hits balls to players as they prepare to play Dixie while clouds loom overhead during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Bear River's Molly Canfield (2) celebrates her run against Dixie with head coach Jordan Theurer during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Dixie infielder Layla London (7) makes a catch for an out against Bear River during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Bear River pitcher Brielle Gardiner (24) delivers a pitch to a Dixie batter during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Dixie shortstop Morgan Staheli (27) celebrates her run against Bear River during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Bear River's Paycie Richards (8) takes a moment to herself as she huddles with her teammates before playing Dixie during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Dixie pitcher Peyton Hatch (19) delivers a pitch to a Bear River batter during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Ridgeline outfielder Oaklee Womack (8) sports notes on her left forearm as she waits on third base for a teammate to hit against Sky View during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Sky View pitcher Avaree Haramoto (57) pats catcher Eliza Birman, right, on the back after closing out an inning against Ridgeline during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Ridgeline head coach Ashlee Murray high-fives pitcher Oaklee Richards (18) after an inning against Sky View during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Ridgeline pitcher Oaklee Richards (18) and catcher Kennedy Dahlke, right, cheer each other on after two outs in an inning against Sky View during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Ridgeline pitcher Oaklee Richards (18) delivers a pitch against Sky View during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Uintah catcher Alexa Rios (1) celebrates after making a catch on a pop-fly ball for an out against Deseret Peak during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak catcher Kaydence Spires (2) celebrates her single against Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak pitcher Peyton Bates (13) connects with a single against Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Desert Hills outfielder Bailey Lee (17) makes a catch for an out against Orem during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Uintah’s Becca Williams (24) connects with the ball against Deseret Peak during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Orem pitcher Kiley Hoshnic (8) delivers a pitch against Desert Hills during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Uintah's Leena Sharp (2) celebrates her run against Deseret Peak with Taya Miller, right, during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak outfielder Taylor Fawson (1) throws the ball to second base after fielding it off a single from Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak head coach Blake Hervat high-fives Taylor Fawson (1) at third base after a teammate’s double against Uintah during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Deseret Peak infielder Jordan Pomikala (23) makes a catch for an out against Uintah and to end the inning during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Uintah outfielder Leena Sharp (2) makes a catch for an out against Deseret Peak during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Desert Hills outfielder Bailey Lee (17) makes a catch for an out against Orem during bracket play in the 4A softball state tournament, held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
No single stat line was quite as impressive as Dixie’s Eliza Kesterson in the Flyers’ 10-4 victory over Uintah in Wednesday’s state tournament.
Kesterson went three of four at the plate, with three home runs and six RBIs in the win. Her teammate, Morgan Staheli, nearly matched it with two home runs of her own.
The defense was also clicking for the seventh-seeded Flyers, as it never allowed Uintah to get close.
“Our goal was to come in and hit early,” said Dixie coach Matt Robbins. “We needed to score early, and our goal is always one run in an inning and if we get bonus runs, then that’s always a plus.
“Our seniors stepped up in this game. Like, we had five home runs between two seniors, which was insane.”
Dixie knows that it’s being viewed as an underdog in the state tournament, and that’s exactly where it wants to be.
“We know what we have here and we know how hard we’ve worked,” Robbins said. “We had a tough loss last year early in the playoffs, and they’ve all been hungry since then.
“We know we get slept on maybe a little bit. We just take that and run with it. Like, ‘let’s go prove ourselves.’”
Every year when the 4A tournament rolls around, Bear River is looked at as one of the teams to beat.
It’s for good reason. The Bears have won five championships in the past 10 years, and this year they’re looking to make it six after it dominated Dixie 16-6 and Deseret Peak 10-0.
“I thought the approach that our girls took was very good,” said coach Jordan Theurer. “We worked really hard the last couple weeks on owning the zone up to bat and they did exactly that. We had productive at-bats. The pitching staff did a very good job, defense behind all together. It was just a couple of good team wins.”
In its game with the Golden Eagles, it took a little while for Bear River to break away. It started with three runs in the second inning but took full control in the fourth with four more runs.
Bri Gardiner led the way offensively with four RBIs on a home run and a double. Defensively, Kate Wilson threw six strikeouts in the shutout.
“I think it just took us a couple innings to get our nerves under control,” Theurer said. “Once we were able to kind of settle in, you could see it settle into the girls that we got a little bit more confident. You could see it in their eyes. So just a few innings under our belt and then they were ready to go.
Orem struggled in its at-bats in its game against Desert Hills, but the Tigers recovered and advanced to day two of the 4A state tournament with a 9-3 win over Ridgeline.
It started fast for Orem, after it quickly pulled in four runs in the top of the first inning. It kept rolling in the fourth with three more runs.
“Definite momentum change,” said Orem head coach Pablo Valdez. “I always felt like we had the table set with Desert Hills, but the hits didn’t come, but we were ready to roll in this one.”
Ridgeline kept up slightly to start, but Orem ran away with it.
Tigers’ Jaileigh DeMaria had an outstanding game with three RBIs on two home runs. Sadie Groneman had two RBIs on a home run and a double.
While the hitting was strong, the defense was the game winner for the Tigers. After Ridgeline earned three wins in the first two innings, it was held scoreless.
“We’ve been playing super good on defensively,” said Valdez. “(Kiley Hoshnic) has been pitching great for us. She’s been hitting her spots, and we’ve backed her up every time with our gloves.”
Lulu West went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs, helping Desert Hills win 6-0 over Orem. Riley Greene also contributed with a home run. The Thunder scored three runs in the fifth to secure their lead. Despite Kiley Hoshnic’s nine strikeouts for Orem, the Tigers couldn’t capitalize and were hindered by three errors.
Defending 4A champion Bear River rallied from a slow start to dominate Dixie 16-6 in 4A bracket play. The Bears’ Kate Wilson had three RBIs, while Londyn Gamble led with four RBIs. A ten-run explosion in the fourth inning lifted Bear River to victory, overpowering the Flyers, who struggled to keep up offensively with just three hits.
Deseret Peak rallied to win 8-6 against Uintah after being held scoreless through three innings. Deseret Peak’s Kaydence Spires and Taylor Fawson each finished with three RBIs. Kynlee Bristol homered for the Utes, who amassed three runs in the fourth but fell short in their late-game efforts.
No. 4 Sky View secured a 5-2 win over Ridgeline in the 4A state tournament. The Bobcats jumped to an early lead with two runs in the first inning and extended their advantage with two more in the third. Ridgeline managed to score twice in the second inning, but fell short as Sky View added another run in the fourth to finalize the score.
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