ST. GEORGE – Snow Canyon completed a perfect region season and make no mistake, Autumn Shipp has been a big part of the success.
The senior, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury, led off the game by scoring on a triple and an error as Snow Canyon beat Dixie 6-4 and finished region play 12-0.
“Since the very beginning, the coaches have let us know that every girl, from the freshmen to the seniors, we were all a part of the team, whether we were on the field or not,” Shipp said. “Everyone counts and every little play in practice and in games count. We’ve really come together.”
Snow Canyon is 19-0 overall, with one non-league game left Friday (against 2A Enterprise) standing between the Lady Warriors and a perfect season.
“Team unity has been the biggest thing for us,” SC coach Brandyn Sargent said. “We’ve worked very hard, but we’ve also had fun.”
Shipp led off the game as more of a ceremonial gesture as she is still rehabbing her injury. But when she ripped a ball past Dixie’s second baseman, instinct kicked in.
“When I saw it get past them and roll all the way to the fence, I just started running,” she said. “I haven’t even sprinted since the surgery, but adrenaline took over. I got to second and just kept running. Then they overthrew third and I ran home. That’s when the tears started flowing.”
Staked to the 1-0 lead provided by Shipp, SC pitcher Brytni Gurney went into overdrive and actually had a no-hitter going into the seventh. In the interim, Snow Canyon added to the lead with two runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth. Sonya Hardy ripped a two-run single in the sixth to aid the cause.
Gurney’s golden game was broken up by Hannah Nyberg, the leadoff hitter in the seventh. Three batters later, Stacia Gelter broke up the shutout by hitting a grand slam over the fence in straightaway center field. But Gurney got the next two batters to ground out to end the game.
Dixie, 11-9 overall and 4-7 in region, is in a three-way tie for the final playoff spot with Cedar and Hurricane. The Flyers finish the regular season Friday at second-place Canyon View.
Hurricane 5, Cedar 3
The Lady Tigers scored five runs in the first two innings, thanks in part to some early Cedar errors. Then Paisley Pearson made thetand up, allowing just three runs the rest of the way. The win creates a logjam at fourth place with the playoffs on the line. Hurricane finishes with last place Desert Hills Friday. Cedar is at Pine View.
Canyon View 14, Desert Hills 0
The Lady Falcons secured the No. 2-seed from Region 9 with the mercy-rule win against last-place Desert Hills. Canyon View has won seven in a row and finishes the season at home against Dixie.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @oldschoolag
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.
