4A semifinals
Bear River 12, Deseret Peak 2
Defending 4A softball champion Bear River dominated its way back into the championship series.
The Bears got a mercy-rule victory in every game during their bracket, including a 12-2 rout of Deseret Peak in the semifinals Thursday.
The secret sauce to the Bears’ success, according to head coach Jordan Theurer, is their depth.
“I feel like the last three games in bracket play, it’s been a different kid to step up in different moments,” said Theurer. “It’s huge when you have one through nine (in the lineup) that can step up when it needs to or when they need to.
“That’s a huge momentum swing, but I felt like we made plays on defense that were really the momentum swingers in that game.”
The semifinal started slowly for Bear River after the Golden Eagles earned a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Deseret Peak held onto the lead for a while, but as it always does, Bear River broke away.
It started with a three-run third inning for the Bears, and then the dam fully broke with a seven-run sixth inning to get the 12-2 mercy-rule win.
Bear River had 13 base hits across nine different players, with seven of them recording at least one RBI.
Bri Gardiner, Kate Wilson and Marley Tisdol all led with two RBIs each. Gardiner and Cora Miller each hit a home run in the win.
The Bears saw three different pitchers, and each time they made the necessary adjustments.
“One thing that you love as a coach is being able to make adjustments from pitch to pitch,” Theurer said. “We saw three pitchers in that last inning. We were making adjustments, which, when you can make adjustments pitch to pitch and not at-bats from at-bats, it puts you in a really good spot to put runs up.”
Desert Hills 7, Orem 6
There were multiple times in the 4A semifinal between top-seeded Desert Hills and Orem that the Thunder were on the ropes.
It took 10 innings, and each time Desert Hills fought back. In the end, the Thunder took the 7-6 win over the Tigers to advance to the 4A championship series with Bear River.
“One through nine, no one ever quits,” said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor. “That’s how it’s been all year long.”
It was very slow going for both teams, as it took until the third inning for the 0-0 tie to be broken by a run from Orem. That lead didn’t last long though, as Desert Hills responded with a run in the fourth.
With the defensive heavy nature of the semifinal, it seemed the first team to break through was going to take the win, so when Orem scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, it looked like it was over for Desert Hills.
The Thunder saw it differently.
They responded with two runs of their own to keep the game alive. It was close, as Orem had a one-run lead with two outs as Lily Ringel tried to get home on a pop-fly. The ball beat Ringel to home, but she dodged the tag-out to get the run and extended the game to extra innings.
Orem kept making plays, but Desert Hills kept matching. A Tigers’ run in the top of the ninth was responded with a run from the Thunder.
Despite the Thunder’s fight, a two-run home run from Orem’s Jaileigh DeMaria in the top of the 10th inning really felt like the end of it.
However, Desert Hills somehow found a way to capitalize on back-to-back Orem errors and scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th for the win.
Lulu West led the way with 15 strikeouts.
“I don’t think that our girls’ emotions get dictated by what another team does defensively that’s amazing or offensively that’s amazing,” Taylor said.
“Lulu gave up a two-run home run, and we just turned around and got the next two outs. That’s from the seniority. They’ve done it before. They have taught that to the younger kids and they practice hard. They practice with a high intensity, and it showed today.”
4A semifinal qualifiers
Orem 3, Sky View 0
Orem prevailed 3-0 against Sky View, with Camber Hancock delivering a solo home run.
The Tigers earned the win behind a run in the first, second and fourth innings, while Kiley Hoshnic shut down the Bobcats in the circle with 11 strikeouts.
Sky View managed just three hits and committed two errors.
Deseret Peak 7, Dixie 0
Deseret Peak’s Kaydence Spires drove in three runs as the Golden Eagles shut out Dixie 7-0 in the 4A semifinal qualifier.
After a scoreless first four innings, Deseret Peak surged ahead, scoring twice in the fifth, four times in the sixth and sealing the game with a final run in the seventh.
Matisyn Skinner pitched effectively, striking out six while allowing only three hits from the Flyers.