ST. GEORGE – The Snow Canyon Warriors have got it bad – and that’s good.
Home run fever has caught on for the SC softball team, helping Snow Canyon to its second consecutive 10-run mercy win this week. This time the Dixie Flyers were the victims as Katelyn Flowers and Shelbee Hutchings both went deep in a 10-0 five-inning blowout.
“I don’t know what it is,” SC coach Tracee Heaton said. “These guys are just squaring up balls. They have so much talent, it’s ridiculous.”
The Warriors hit five homers Tuesday in a 16-2 win over Cedar. Two more cleared the fence Friday afternoon. Hutchings hit her deep ball in the bottom of the second that broke a scoreless tie. Flowers’ came in the bottom of the fourth with teammate Taylor Brown on first and pushed the lead to 10-0. A few outs later, SC was dancing with a shortened 10-0 win.
“We’re all just patient, but aggressive, too,” Hutchings said. “We’re just seeing the ball really well. We have a lot of power on this team and we’re just using it to our advantage.”
Thanks to Hutchings and the sharp pitching of Heather Prestwich, Snow Canyon held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. The Warriors had two on and two out when the rally really got going. Lauren Brown walked, then SC got three straight singles by Taylor Gunn, Flowers and Addie Smith, all which brought runs home. Nikenna Durante and Hutchings had singled earlier in the inning, making it five singles and four runs in the third.
Dixie got a couple of runners on in the fourth, but Prestwich induced a pop fly to end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Sonya Hardy reached on an error and Hutchings was hit by a pitch. Camryn Johnson singled to make it 6-0. An error allowed Hutchings to score and make it 7-0 and one out later, Gunn singled home Johnson to make it 8-0.
That’s when Flowers stepped to the plate. The soft-spoken Warrior planted the first pitch over the left field fence to make it 10-0.
“I was looking for a good pitch and I got it right away,” Flowers said. “I think it’s just confidence. I know my teammates will pick me up, even if I don’t hit one. I just went up there and was telling myself that I was going to hit it.”
Snow Canyon had 10 hits in the game and played error-free on defense. Prestwich allowed just three hits. Gunn had three singles in the game and Hutchings scored all three times to the plate.
“The loss last Friday to Pine View really lit a fire under us,” Hutchings said. “I don’t like losing, but you learn from it and that’s what we did.”
SC, 8-1 overall and 3-1 in region, plays Canyon View next Wednesday at SCHS with game time at 4 p.m.
Irene Lara, Michaela DeKorver and Mickell Chidester all had hits for Dixie, which fell to 3-7 overall and 0-3 in region. Dixie hosts Pine View Tuesday and Hurricane Thursday.
Pine View 5, Hurricane 4 (F/9)
Aubrey Neilson hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that brought home Ashlyn Gubler, lifting the Lady Panthers to the extra-inning road victory.
Gubler, who had a perfect day with three hits and two walks, helped Pine View rally from 4-2 down heading into the seventh inning. The Panthers were able to squeeze two runs home in the top of the seventh and hold Hurricane, sending the game into extra innings.
Neither team scored in the eighth, with PV pushing the go-ahead run across in the top of the ninth. Panther pitcher Jordan Gosik was able to keep the Lady Tigers quiet in the bottom of the ninth, giving Pine View the one-run victory.
Gosik pitched all nine innings for PV, allowing six hits and striking out seven. She also survived some shaky Panther defense as Pine View committed six errors.
It was an important win for PV, which improved to 3-1 in region and keeps the Panthers tied with Snow Canyon and Cedar. All three are tied for first in Region 9.
Pine View, 5-5 overall, is at Dixie Tuesday afternoon. Hurricane, 7-6 overall, but 0-3 in region, is at Cedar Tuesday afternoon.
Cedar 5, Canyon View 2
The Lady Reds took care of business at home, handing the Falcons their first region loss in the process.
Cedar, 7-5 overall and 3-1 in region play, overpowered Canyon View in an important bounce-back game after a humbling 16-2 loss at home to Snow Canyon earlier this week.
With the win, the Lady Reds leapfrog Canyon View in the standings and are tied with Pine View and Snow Canyon at 3-1 atop the region. Cedar hosts Hurricane Tuesday.
Canyon View, 3-7 overall and 2-1 in region, hosts Desert Hills Tuesday and then is at Snow Canyon Wednesday.
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Snow Canyon's Katelyn Flowers (10) is greeted by her teammates at home after she launched a home run, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Snow Canyon's Sonya Hardy (21) slides in to home safely, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Snow Canyon's Katelyn Flowers (10) is tagged out at third base by Dixie's Stacia Gelter, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Aubri Challis rips a pitch into the outfield for the Lady Flyers, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Jay'lee Stratton (20) rounds second and heads for third for the Lady Flyers, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Nikenna Durante follows the flight of the ball for Snow Canyon, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Michaela DeKorver (15) throws the ball back in to the infield after making an out, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Sonya Hardy, file photo from Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Snow Canyon's Camryn Johnson takes a swing, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Dixie pitcher Summer Simkins chases down a ground ball, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Dixie third baseman Stacia Gelter takes a throw as Snow Canyon's Shelbee Hutchings slides in safely, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Dixie pitcher Kylee Mills, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Snow Canyon pitcher Heather Prestwich, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Snow Canyon catcher Taylor Gunn leaps after a foul ball, Dixie vs. Snow Canyon, Softball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 27, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
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