High school softball: Grantsville dynasty marches on with another dominant 3A state championship

Grantsville’s Eden Ressel was thrilled to be playing at BYU’s Gail Miller Field on Thursday afternoon, and not just for the joy of playing on a college field.

In Grantsville’s three previous 3A state tournament wins at Spanish Fork Park, the senior leadoff hitter had gone a combined 0 for 9. It wasn’t really a slump as she was hitting the ball hard, she just couldn’t get on base.

Ressel picked the perfect game to find her swing in the 3A championship game at BYU on Thursday.

Ressel doubled in her first at-bat and was the perfect table setter all game for No. 1 seed Grantsville in a dominant 12-0 victory in five innings over No. 2 seed North Sanpete to claim its fourth straight state championship.

Ressel is one of seven Grantsville seniors who’ve been on the squad for all four state titles, and one of five who’ve been starters since their sophomore year.

Thursday’s championship felt a bit different.

“It definitely feels more sentimental because we’ve played together pretty much since our freshman year and we’ve all played varsity since our sophomore year. The state tournament wasn’t anything different, but just our last games playing together, I think we just played with more heart and trusted each other more and I think it all just worked out well,” said Ressel, who went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs in the win.

She was one of three Grantsville players who recorded multi-hit games as the team got better in the batters box each inning.

It scored once in the first, two in the second, three in the third and then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Coach Tony Cloward said that was a pattern all tournament.

“You look at Tuesday, we were winning but we weren’t convincingly winning, and then it got better and then it got better. I think as this tournament goes on, we get stronger with more innings and more balls in play,” said Cloward.

He said it’s going to be weird writing out the scorecard next season without the five seniors who’ve been starters for three straight state championships.

“I know exactly where my bread is buttered, right? That senior group, they’ve been that good. They come to work every day, they work hard. It’s been a joy to coach them because they just love it, and they can’t get enough of it,” said Cloward.

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Grantsville is in the midst a pretty historic run because of that love within the program.

Not only was this year’s title a 4-peat for the Cowboys, but they’ve won eight titles in the past nine seasons. It likely would’ve been nine for 10 had COVID not canceled the 2020 season as Grantsville was loaded that year.

The only other year Grantsville didn’t win the state title in the past decade was 2022.

“It almost makes it more difficult sometimes, right? Because you’ve got that bullseye on your chest. I don’t think words can really explain just how awesome it is to win one, let alone four in a row. I mean, I’m in awe. I’m in awe of these girls and I’m in awe of what they accomplish every year,” said Cloward, whose team finished the season with a 25-6 record.

Experience definitely helped Grantsville come out in the first inning with the right mentality of trying to be hyped, but also treat it just like another game.

“We’ve seen the stage a couple times, so I mean we know how to deal with it. It’s just with a bigger crowd, but it’s still softball,” said Ressel.

Along with Ressel’s multi-hit game, senior catcher Kira Hart went 2 for 4 and SaDee Castagno went 2 for 3. Hall, Ressel, Brynlee Anderson and Payten Bytheway all drove in two runs apiece.

Grantsville has utilized three different pitchers this season, but Hayden Bytheway has been the ace and that’s who Cloward rolled out into the circle for Thursday’s championship after she’d only allowed one run in her previous two playoff wins.

The SLCC commit was in complete control again against North Sanpete, striking out five and only allowing three hits in five innings.

“I just went out there with so much confidence. I knew my team had my back. I just knew that we needed to get one out at a time,” said Bytheway. “The more that we got into the game, the more it felt like home. We felt comfortable; it’s like our second home being in the championship.”

Cloward said Bytheway was locating her pitches really well and keeping North Sanpete off-balanced in the batters box by throwing a variety of pitches as well.

“And just when you think you get comfortable with her, then she shows you something different. Her rise ball is tough, but she’ll bring that inside curve, and then today she even worked on a little bit of her changeup. What do you do when that girl’s putting it where she wants. she’s really a very good pitcher,” said Cloward.

North Sanpete got a runner on base in all five innings against Bytheway, and even move the runner into scoring position in three of those innings. Each time the senior ace got a big third out, and including three inning-ending strikeouts.