High school softball: Battle-tested seniors lead Desert Hills to first-ever 4A championship with win over Bear River

In 2023, Desert Hills was hoping to make a run at the state championship.

The Thunder were a young team. They had eight freshmen on the varsity squad, and many of them were top contributors. That team fell a bit short of the 4A championship series, but there was a lot to be excited about.

Then the following two years happened. That young core brought Desert Hills to the championship series in back-to-back years, but both times, it couldn’t get over that last obstacle.

So, with that core now in their senior year, it almost felt like destiny as they led Desert Hills to a 4-2 win over defending champion Bear River Saturday to win its first-ever softball state championship.

This year’s 4A crown could have only been taken by a team as battle-tested and hungry as Desert Hills, especially after it lost last year’s championship after forcing Bear River to a third game.

“As soon as they lost last year, the very next day, they said, ‘This is what we’re doing. What can we do to make sure this is not the outcome next year? Becasue this sucks,’” said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor.

“We started this year, and we were talking about that bitter feeling, and that taste, and we got emotional. They just wanted it.”

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Of course, the Thunder’s seniors were the stars of the show. All week long at the state tournament, it started with pitcher Lulu West.

West pitched in four of the five games for the Thunder since it started bracket play on Wednesday and tallied 41 strikeouts, 20 of which were in the championship series against Bear River.

West’s poise in the circle was important for Desert Hills, especially after the start Bear River had.

The Bears struggled to get on base early in Friday’s Game 1 of the championship series, but Saturday’s Game 2 was a different story.

Bear River got two runners on base and in scoring position in both the first and second innings. Both times, the Desert Hills defense, led by West, got out of the inning unscathed.

“I love my defense,” West said. “We always make stellar plays. I have complete and total trust in them. I know that I can throw any pitch, and if it gets hit, we’re going to make a play on it. I just love having that trust and faith in my teammates.”

It’s easy to have trust in your teammates when you have talent like shortstop Riley Greene, who made multiple defensive plays to keep Bear River away from taking the lead.

Greene was also the leader offensively in the championship series. In Game 1, she got the scoring started with an inside-the-park home run. Then in Game 2, she hit an RBI double for the first run of the game. That advantage snowballed into a 3-0 lead for Desert Hills in the third inning.

Desert Hills senior Bailey Lee also had a strong performance with an RBI and two doubles.

“My whole focus was just to make sure I was doing my job,” Greene said. “There are nine players on the field, nine in the lineup, and I’m just making sure I’m able to back up my teammates, and I know my teammates will have my back, too.”

Despite both being seniors, Saturday’s game won’t be the last time that West and Greene will play together, as both are committed to UConn.

“I’m so stoked. I’m literally so excited,” West said. “I am so sad to leave all these other seniors, but I’m so grateful that I have Riley going with me, and I just can’t wait.”

The vibes were strong all evening for Desert Hills, which were needed after a two-run home run from Bear River’s Bri Gardiner brought things within 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning and brought some life into the Bears’ dugout and the crowd.

However, Desert Hills knew how to handle it, especially after its semifinal with Orem. The Tigers battled with the Thunder through 10 innings, but Desert Hills weathered it and found a way to win.

That’s exactly how it responded again.

In the bottom of the sixth, West had a base hit to bring home another runner to solidify its 4-2 lead, which Desert Hills held onto through the top of the seventh.

“It was just the seniors again,” Taylor said. “The leadership there, they know exactly what they’re doing... They just have each other’s backs. It’s such a cool thing.”