ST. GEORGE – The old saying is “Chicks dig the long ball,” and, with all due respect, the Pine View chicks really do.
Carissa Fiame and Elaine Asaasa both hit towering home runs and Keltee Shelley racketballed one off the center field fence as the Lady Panthers ripped Dixie 10-1 Friday afternoon.
“Having those (power hitters) makes you realize that they can change the game in a hurry,” Pine View coach Randy Green said. “Today we got a little over-anxious early in the game, but when we were patient we were very good.”
The first of the long-balls came after a controversial play in the fourth inning and broke a scoreless tie. With a runner on first and one out, Asaasa hit a grounder to second. The base-runner bumped the second baseman just before she attempted to field the ball, but no interference call was made. After a pop-out, Fiame socked a three-run homer to straight-away left field. Pine View added another run in the inning and left its half of the fourth ahead 4-0.
Dixie got a run back in the bottom of the sixth after a triple by Megan Leavitt and a sacrifice fly by Summer Simkins, but that’s as close as it would get. In fact, the top of the seventh would be a disaster for Dixie.
Shelbee Green led off with a triple and scored on an error on a pickoff throw. Kirsten Anderson singled with one out, followed by Shelley’s hard shot off the wall for an RBI and a 6-1 lead. Kayla Hammond singled, then Asaasa stepped to the plate with that look in her eye.
“We can tell when she’s going to hit one out,” Shelley said. “She just has that look when she steps into the batter’s box.”
Asaasa took the first pitch and deposited it deep into the parking lot beyond left-center field.
“I think it was a fastball,” Asaasa said. “She had actually been throwing a lot of change-ups. Sometimes I get a little over-anxious, but I wanted that one. Coach said I had that look.”
That made it 9-1 and Green knocked in a 10th run to put it at 10-1. Dixie got a couple of hits in the bottom of the inning but left them stranded as Pine View closed out the win.
Anderson got the win in the circle and the Panthers improved to 16-3 overall and 6-3 in region. The Lady Panthers are home for last-place Desert Hills Tuesday. Dixie, 10-8 and 3-6, is off Tuesday and hosts Cedar Friday.
Snow Canyon 7, Hurricane 1 (8 innings)
For seven innings, Hurricane’s Paisley Pearson matched Snow Canyon star pitcher Brytni Gurney pitch for pitch in a duel to remember. But the lady Warriors came out in the eighth inning and blew the game open. Gurney had a three-run triple and freshman Natalie Coulum had three hits as Snow Canyon improved to 16-0 and 9-0 in region play.
Six of Snow Canyon’s 11 hits came in the top of the eighth, including Gurney’s bases-clearing rocket. With the win, SC clinched the No. 1-seed for Region 9 and will host one of the first round pods at SCHS in May.
Hurricane, 7-5 overall and 4-5 in region, did score a run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI by Carlie Stratton, but it wasn’t nearly enough after the Warriors’ big inning. Hurricane plays at Canyon View Tuesday. The Tigers are currently in fourth place and still in a position to get a playoff spot.
The undefeated Lady Warriors plat at Cedar Tuesday.
Canyon View 2, Cedar 1
The Lady Falcons got another excellent pitching gem from Josie Platt, who went the distance and allowed just three hits. Canyon View, 9-9 overall and 5-3 in region, plays at home vs. Hurricane Tuesday.
Cedar, 10-7 and 4-5, plays at home vs. Snow Canyon Tuesday.
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