Region 9 softball: Three sweeps and a forfeit in season finale

Snow Canyon softball's Jenna Thorkelson pitches against Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, May 4, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Region 9 softball season came to a close on Thursday as teams made their final bids for seeding heading into the state tournament.

Snow Canyon softball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, May 4, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

The Snow Canyon Warriors claimed the regional title in week six and saw their bid for an undefeated Region 9 schedule come to an abrupt end due to forfeit in the final game. It left the rest of the pack to jockey for positioning behind them. Canyon View and Crimson Cliffs had each clinched winning records, but the only team entering the week with a shot to finish at .500 or better was Desert Hills.

The Warriors matched up with Dixie, Canyon View took on Pine View, Crimson Cliffs played the Thunder and Cedar dueled Hurricane.

Here are recaps and the final standings from Region 9 softball. For the full playoff matchups, go to this link:

Snow Canyon takes game one, forced to forfeit game two against Dixie

Tuesday: Snow Canyon 15, Dixie 5

Thursday: Dixie wins, Snow Canyon forfeits

Entering the last week of the season, Snow Canyon had a shot for an undefeated Region 9 campaign. However, a scheduling snafu earlier in the season put the Warriors over Utah High School Activities Association’s single-season limit, meaning they would have to forfeit the final game of the season to stay under the cap. After a trouncing of the Flyers in game one, it set in stone that the forfeit would be their lone loss.

Snow Canyon softball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, May 4, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

On Tuesday, the Warriors posted a consistent effort on both sides of the ball to gradually pull away on the road.

Snow Canyon took a 5-1 lead after two, expanding it to 6-2 by the fourth. They posted three in the sixth and six in the seventh to solidify the blowout.

Each of the top five hitters in the lineup posted at least two hits, and everyone batting two through five tallied three RBIs. No. 1 Jael Wilde and No. 2 Tyler Mooring each scored four runs. Wilde had the Warriors’ lone homer, which she hit to lead off the game.

Jenna Torkelson took the ball, tossing a complete game. She struck out eight and allowed six hits.

Elle Anderson and Debra Tofi each hit homers for the Flyers. Kylee Terrell recorded multiple hits and pitched a complete game for Dixie. She bore all 15 runs on 15 hits, striking out four.

Canyon View sweeps Pine View, takes tie for second

Tuesday: Canyon View 16, Pine View 1

Thursday: Canyon View 15, Pine View 2

Two crooked-number innings gave the Falcons big wins in the final week.

On Tuesday, Canyon View scored 12 in the bottom of the first. After scoring four in the bottom of the second, all they had to do was prevent Pine View from getting back within 15 runs to win the game.

They did.

Erin Robinson, Payton Lister and Sidney Webster each had three hits. Lister drove in five runs. 

In the decisive bottom of the first, Canyon View scored 11 runs before an out was recorded. They had six hits and six walks.

Laynee Anzalone controlled the Panthers for two innings, striking out four and allowing just two singles. Kenlee Clove pitched the third, allowing a trio of singles and Pine View’s lone run. She also got a strikeout.

At Pine View, the game was closer for the first four innings. It was tied 1-1 at the end of three before Canyon View pulled ahead with a pair of runs. In the fifth, however, they crossed the plate a dozen times again to invoke another mercy rule.

Chaisey Milne controlled the Canyon View bats for the first four innings, allowing just three hits before things went downhill in the fifth.

Klove led off the top of the fifth with a homer to right, a premonition of things to come. The first 11 hitters in the inning reached base, seven by hit. Kamryn Allen recorded the first out and even that came in productive fashion in the form of a sacrifice fly.

Clove led the Falcons with three hits and Webster and Gleave each collected two. Webster led the game with four RBIs.

Lister tossed a complete game, striking out five and allowing only two hits.

For Pine View, Milne and Kaytlyne Hunt recorded the team’s only hits and both players also drove in a run.

Crimson Cliffs keeps pace for second with sweep of Desert Hills

Tuesday: Crimson Cliffs 10, Desert Hills 3

Thursday: Crimson Cliffs 17, Desert Hills 4

Crimson Cliffs stampeded to a tie for second place in their first full Region 9 campaign, finishing off the season with a sweep of Desert Hills.

In game one, the Mustangs went on the road and jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings. They added a run in fifth and added four for insurance in the sixth.

Afton Roberts, Kya Burningham and Ellie Herd each had three hits to pace the Mustangs. Roberts hit the game’s lone homer and led the way with three RBIs. As a team, Crimson Cliffs only struck out twice as they racked up 15 base hits. The top four in the lineup went 9-for-20.

McKenna Cahoon struck out five in the complete game. She gave up nine hits and struck out five.

For Desert Hills, Aisey Gargano went 2-for-3 with a double, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Jenelle Jones and Faith Baumgartner each had two-hit games as well.

In the home finale, Crimson scored multiple runs in each turn at bat in the six-inning win. 

Abigail Swanson went 5-for-5 from the leadoff spot, scoring four runs. Emma Shakespear collected two hits but both went over the fence. After a two-run shot, Shakespear hit a walk-off grand slam to bring her RBI total to six.

Cahoon once again pitched, allowing four runs in five innings. She gave up six hits, all singles. Malia Davis threw the sixth, striking out a pair.

Jones, Kaitlin Skinner and Mavanee Schmidt each had two hits for Desert Hills.

Cedar sweeps Tigers

Tuesday: Cedar 13, Hurricane 3

Thursday: Cedar 15, Hurricane 6

Early offensive showings gave the Reds a pair of fast, big leads to carry them to a pair of wins in the final week.

Hurricane softball at Cedar, Cedar City, Utah, May 4, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

At home in game one, Cedar rattled off seven runs in the first inning and five more in the third. It built their lead out to the final score and, a couple scoreless innings later, won by mercy rule.

Lexi Ludlow went 2-for-3 with a homer to drive in three. Kaydee Anderson, Haylee Campbell and Baileigh Anker each had a pair of RBIs as well.

Meanwhile, Sydney Meek contained the Tigers over the course of the five innings. She struck out three and allowed five hits. 

McKinlee Wright went 2-for-3 for Hurricane, launching a solo homer. She also stole a base. Chantell Pearson drove in two runs. She also started the game in the circle but was relieved after .2 innings in favor of Annie Hutchings. Hutchings allowed six runs the rest of the way, but only one was earned.

On Thursday, Cedar scored just one run in the first but built out a quick lead with six runs in the second and five in the third.

Braylee Peterson went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot and Campbell and Kodi Nelson each had three hits and four RBIs. Nelson slugged two homers and Campbell had one to add to two doubles. 

Peyton Naegele started for Cedar, throwing five innings of five-run ball. Meeks finished the final two innings in relief. 

Pearson started again for Hurricane, lasting 1.2 innings. Hutchings threw one more, striking out four with a dropped third strike, before Abby Stout finished the last 4.1 innings, allowing three runs.

Wright and Kaitlyn Rasmussen each had two hits and Haven Smith had three for the Tigers offensively. Morgan Stout had Hurricane’s lone double.

St. George News reporter Jeff Richards contributed to this report.

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

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