ST. GEORGE – Brytni Gurney continues to be just about as good as a pitcher can be and the Snow Canyon Warriors keep winning softball games.
Gurney struck out 10 and allowed one hit, an infield single, as the Lady Warriors trounced Desert Hills 7-0. Gurney also knocked in a pair of runs and was in complete control the entire game.
“She’s a coach’s dream,” SC coach Brandyn Sargent said. “She comes to practice ready to work and strives to get better each day. She does what she’s supposed to do. That’s why she’s so good.”
Gurney walked two and one other Desert Hills batter reached on an error, but none of them got past second base in the senior’s dominant outing.
“I just try to be the best I can,” Gurney said. “Our coaches are tough on us, but it’s a good tough. They know how good this team could be.”
There was a sense of frustration after the game. That’s because the undefeated Warriors (12-0 overall, 5-0 in region) allowed the Lady Thunder to hang in the game until the sixth inning. It was 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth when an SC rally finally broke things open.
Grace Walton had a bases loaded single that scored a pair of runs and doubled the lead to 4-0. The hit also seemed to open the floodgates as the Lady Warriors added three more after that.
“There was a real sense of relief after I got that hit,” Walton said. “We probably should have won by more, but the focus is on getting better. Every day we want to improve and I know we have a lot of work still to do.”
Gurney knocked in Sonya Hardy in the first inning and it looked like Snow Canyon mihgt explode early in the game. But the first ended with the Lady Warriors stranding runners at second and third and that became an overriding theme in the game until the sixth.
“We left seven runners on base in five innings, most of them on second or third, and that’s unacceptable,” Sargent said. “We have been hitting the ball so well in practice, but it’s not translating to the games. (Today) in those situations we would pop up or strike out.”
The lone DH hit came of the bat of Micah Betts, who hit a little bleeder down the third base line. Mitzi Gates came hard on it, but it bounced just in front of her glove and there was no play at first. Gurney then walked the next batter to give the Thunder runners at first and second. Gurney struck out a couple to retire the side and end any threat.
“Brytni won that game,” Sargent said. “Against a better team we would have lost that one if not for her.”
The Lady Warriors play at Dixie Friday afternoon. Desert Hills, 1-9 and 0-4, plays at Canyon View Friday.
Canyon View 4, Pine View 2
Josie Platt was masterful for the Lady Falcons, holding Pine View off the scorebook until the seventh inning. Elaine Asaasa hit a one-out, two-run home run in the seventh, but Platt retired the final two batters without incident to clamp down the win.
Pine View’s three errors were costly as the Falcons picked up a couple of unearned runs off of Kirsten Anderson, who took the loss. The Lady Panthers fell to 10-2 overall and 3-2 in region with the loss and play four games at the Payson Tournament Saturday. Canyon View is 4-7 and 2-2 and hosts Desert Hills Friday.
Dixie 8, Cedar 7
It was a windy wild west shootout for the Flyers and reds,with Dixie holding on for the one-run win. Down 5-3, Dixie popped for five runs in the fifth and held on from there. Krista DeKorver got the win, while doubled and homered for the Lady Flyers.
Dixie improves to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in region with the road win. Cedar, which got home runs from Javlyn Weaver and Breanna Williams, fell to 5-3 and 2-2. Dixie hosts Snow Canyon Friday. Cedar travels to a four-game set on Saturday at Payson.
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