Region 9 softball: 3 sweeps and a split have top teams pulling away from pack

Written by Rich Allen
April 27, 2021
Crimson Cliffs softball's Paisley Lantz celebrates after hitting a home run against Cedar, Crimson Cliffs High School, Washington city, Utah, April 20, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News / Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — With just two series remaining in the Region 9 softball season, the top two teams are pulling away while the middle of the pack is up in the air.

Snow Canyon softball at Pine View, Pine View High School, St. George, Utah, April 23, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Snow Canyon stayed undefeated in the last week with two emphatic wins over Pine View, while Crimson Cliffs stayed within a game with a sweep of their own against Cedar. Canyon View kept pace with another sweep but remains two games back of the Mustangs and three of the Warriors. Dixie and Hurricane split in the fourth series of the week.

Week six figures to have huge consequence in the final standings. Crimson Cliffs and Snow Canyon meet for the first time as Region 9 foes. The Warriors have the opportunity to clinch the regional title with a sweep while Crimson has a chance to prove their mettle against the No. 1 spot. Elsewhere, Cedar and Dixie will get the opportunity to jockey for seeding, Desert Hills looks to get back on track against a Pine View team seeking its first win and Canyon View looks to stay in the hunt for the region title against Hurricane.

For now, here are recaps from week five, followed by the current Region 9 softball standings:

Snow Canyon beats up on winless Pine View to stay undefeated

April 20: Snow Canyon 10, Pine View 0

Friday: Snow Canyon 21, Pine View 1

The Warriors continued to put their dominance of Region 9 on display with a pair of decisive wins over the Panthers.

Snow Canyon softball at Pine View, Pine View High School, St. George, Utah, April 23, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

In game one, Tyler Mooring twirled a two-hitter in a five-inning home win. Hadlei Price and Chaisey Milne got the two singles off Mooring, who struck out seven.

Offensively, the Warriors took over right away in the bottom of the first, scoring five. Emma Bingham, Syd McCaul and Jenna Thorkelson all hit homers, scoring Allie Landis and Mooring, who drew walks. They scored again in the second and fourth before putting up three in the fifth to walk off with a 10-run rule win. Jael Wilde hit a double to score Thorkelson and Tavie Landis to secure the victory.

Wilde brought the Warriors’ homer total to four with a solo shot of her own. McCaul led the game with three hits. 

Things weren’t much easier for the Panthers at home. The game concluded after three innings after the Warriors went up by more than 15 with a 14-run rally. Snow Canyon tallied 22 hits including four homers and three doubles. Bingham went 4-for-4 with a dinger, four runs and three RBIs. Wilde and Erin Gunn each drove in four. Every player in the Warriors lineup recorded at least two hits.

Mooring once again started for Snow Canyon, allowing one hit in two innings and Pine View’s only run in the second. Lexie Tueller singled to lead off the inning, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on a ground out by Avery Gustin.

Thorkelson threw only 10 pitches in the bottom of the third with a strikeout to end the contest.

The Warriors stay undefeated in Region 9 play at 10-0 and 20-4 overall. They host No. 2 Crimson Cliffs next.

Pine View falls to 0-10. They seek their first win against Desert Hills at home on Tuesday.

Hot offenses lead to split between Dixie, Hurricane

April 20: Hurricane 17, Dixie 5

Friday: Dixie 17, Hurricane 9

The games between the Flyers and Tigers were decided by which team could reach double digits on the scoreboard.

On April 20, that team was Hurricane on the road. 

The Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the end of two innings at home and held the Tigers without a hit until the fourth. Dixie starter Kylee Terrell faced the minimum through two innings, pitching around a hit by pitch. Terrell walked two in the third but worked around those, as well.

In the fourth, however, things unraveled. Abby Stout drew a leadoff walk and Kaitlyn Rasmussen lined a single to break up the no-hit bid. Riley Fox was then hit by a pitch and Chantell Pearson singled to get the Tigers on the board. The game was tied before the half inning ended. 

Hurricane proceeded to score two in the fifth and six in both the sixth and seventh. Dixie scored two in the bottom of the seventh, but to no avail.

Pearson threw a complete game allowing just one hit: a homer by Debra Tofi. The two runs scored on that play were the only two earned in the game. Pearson struck out six. She also walked six and saw the Tigers defense commit four errors behind her.

Rasmussen led the game with three hits. Pearson had two along with three RBIs to help her own cause. Stout hit a homer.

For Dixie, Tofi’s 1-for-1 with the homer and three walks was the only bright spot on a tough day at the plate.

When the series shifted to Hurricane, however, the roles were nearly reversed. Just as Dixie did in game one, the Tigers got off to an early lead at home. At the end of the third, it was 9-3 in favor of the Tigers. Hurricane already had 10 hits.

Tofi had started the game for the Flyers. She exited after the third and Terrell made her second appearance. She allowed only two hits over the final four innings, both singles.

Meanwhile, Pearson started again for Hurricane, holding the Flyers at bay for six runs over five innings. At the time of her exit, the Tigers led by three.

Dixie rallied off Stout in relief, however. They scored 11 runs in the final two innings, though only three were earned. Fourteen of Dixie’s runs came in the final three frames.

Terrell and Tofi both hit homers for Dixie. Elle Anderson had three hits and Fia Tofi had four. Fia also drove in a game-high four runs.

For Hurricane, McKinlee Wright had three hits and Rasmussen collected two.

Dixie moves to 4-6, good for a tie for fourth place in Region 9 play. They host Cedar on Tuesday. The 3-7 Tigers host Canyon View.

Crimson Cliffs wins ninth, 10th straight against Cedar

April 20: Crimson Cliffs 13, Cedar 2

Friday: Crimson Cliffs 16, Cedar 4

At home, Crimson scored seven in the second inning to set the tone for the series. Afton Roberts capped a seven-hit inning with a two-run homer, the first of three the Mustangs would hit in the game. Crimson batted around and hit for the cycle in the second with a triple from Ellie Brinkerhoff and a double from Kya Burningham,

Cedar softball at Crimson Cliffs, Crimson Cliffs High School, Washington city, Utah, April 20, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News / Cedar City News

Roberts would eventually hit the walk-off single in the fifth that scored Brinkerohff and Ashten Taylor, bringing her RBI total for the day to a game-leading four. 

Burningham went 3-for-3 with a homer in addition to her double. Hitters two through five in the Mustangs lineup went 9-for-14.

It all backed Malia Davis on the mound, who allowed six hits over five innings. A homer by Haylee Campbell and an RBI single from Amryn Tom were her only blemishes in the linescore. She struck out five.

Payton Naegele threw a complete game for Cedar. She struck out four over 4.2 innings.

In Cedar City, the game was scoreless until Crimson erupted for six in the third and nine in the fourth. Cedar scored twice in both the fourth and fifth but it wasn’t enough to stave off the mercy rule. 

For the Mustangs, Emma Shakspear hit a homer to cap a 3-for-3 game, driving in two and scoring three. McKenna Cahoon also hit a bomb amongst her three hits to back her complete game on the mound.

Cahoon struck out eight and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when she gave up three of her four total allowed.

Kodi Nelson hit an RBI double and Kaydee Anderson drove in a pair for Cedar in the loss.

Crimson moves to 9-1 and duels at No. 1 Snow Canyon on Tuesday. Cedar drops to 3-7 before their game at Dixie.

Canyon View offense blows Thunder away in sweep

April 20: Canyon View 20, Desert Hills 4

Friday: Canyon View 16, Desert Hills 0

The Falcons showed no mercy to Desert Hills with a pair of run-rule wins.

Canyon View softball at Desert Hills, Desert Hills High School, St. George, Utah, April 20, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News / Cedar City News

At Desert Hills on April 20, an eight-run third put Canyon View up 11-0 entering the bottom of the inning. The Thunder responded with three, but four-spots in the fourth and fifth for the Falcons sealed the deal.

Each of the top six hitters in the Falcons lineup had multi-hit games and no one in the lineup struck out. Leadoff hitter Erin Robinson led the way with four hits. She also scored four runs and drove in three with the help of two doubles. Kamryn Allen and Payton Lister were each a triple shy of the cycle. Tatum Millett also hit a homer.

Laynee Anzalone and Lister split pitching duties. Anzalone got the start, striking out four but allowing three hits and six walks in her 2.2 innings. Lister struck out three and allowed no hits or walks but did yield a run over the final 2.1.

Tatum Gardner pitched the first four innings for Desert Hills. She gave up 16 runs on 15 hits, but may find solace in the fact that only five were earned. Saidey Spencer pitched the fifth.

Spencer also drove in two runs.

In Cedar City, the Falcons put up eight runs in the first, five in the second and walked off with three in the third. Lister hit the game-winning homer in the bottom of the third to clinch the 15-run rule after allowing just three singles on the mound. Erin Robinson completed the 1.000 batting average week by going 3-for-3. She hit a homer and had two doubles. Anzalone and Hallie Potter also went yard for the Falcons. They also went 3-1 in a weekend tournament in non-region play. The Falcons travel to Hurricane next.

Desert Hills drops to 4-6. They’ll look to return to .500 against Pine View, starting on the road on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s games 

  • Canyon View at Hurricane
  • Crimson Cliffs at Snow Canyon
  • Cedar at Dixie
  • Desert Hills at Pine View

Region 9 softball standings, as of Monday

  1. Snow Canyon 10-0 (20-4)
  2. Crimson Cliffs 9-1 (19-3)
  3. Canyon View 7-3 (16-5)
  4. Dixie 4-6 (7-10)
  5. Desert Hills 4-6 (6-14-1)
  6. Hurricane 3-7 (7-10)
  7. Cedar 3-7 (7-13)
  8. Pine View 0-10 (4-14)

Cedar City News reporter JEFF RICHARDS contributed to this story.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich joined St. George News in October 2020. The Colorado native graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in December 2018, where he was a sports and managing editor at the student publication, The Metropolitan. He worked as a media relations assistant for the minor league baseball club New Orleans Baby Cakes in 2019.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @RAllenSTGNews@STGnews

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