ST. GEORGE — The top dog remains undefeated as the Region 9 softball season crossed the halfway point last week.

Teams played their seventh and eighth Region 9 contests, hitting and crossing the midpoint of the season. The Snow Canyon Warriors remain the uncontested leader, sweeping the Canyon View Falcons in a pair of close contests. Nevertheless, the Warriors maintain a perfect 8-0 league record.

Elsewhere, final scores saw Desert Hills over Hurricane and Crimson Cliffs over Dixie, and Cedar swept Pine View despite the Panthers coming within three outs of their first regional win of the season.

The Panthers get a tough ask, taking on Snow Canyon this week, and No. 4 Desert Hills gets a chance to chase down No. 3 Canyon View in the third-to-last week of the season.

Here are recaps from week four and five’s matchups and the current Region 9 standings:

Canyon View pushes Snow Canyon to the edge but comes up short

April 13: Snow Canyon 4, Canyon View 2

Friday: Snow Canyon 10, Canyon View 7

The Snow Canyon Falcons came closest of any team all season to dealing the Warriors their first loss. They did so not once but twice.

The Warriors got four home runs in Cedar on April 13 to account for all of their runs. Emma Bingham, Erin Gunn, Syd McCaul and Jael Wilde each hit solo shots to give Snow Canyon four runs. Bingham, Gunn and McCaul went back-to-back-to-back to lead off the sixth. The team only got three other hits collectively, all singles, as Laynee Anzalone controlled a potent Warriors lineup.

Anzalone allowed only five hits in five innings with just one strikeout. She issued a pair of walks, each coming at the beginning of the first and second innings, but didn’t allow a hit until a McCaul single to lead off the fourth. She was relieved by Payton Lister, who gave up a homer but also contained Snow Canyon over her two innings of work.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jenna Thorkelson was up for a dual. Snow Canyon’s starter threw a complete game, allowing just five hits and striking out 10. Anzalone hit a homer of her own in the bottom of the seventh, and Canyon View took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Erin Robinson hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Kamryn Allen single.

Thorkelson was back on the mound in game two, but Canyon View had seen her enough to put together some offense. The Falcons scored two runs in each of the first and second as Allen homered and doubled to drive in four.

After scoring a run in the first, Snow Canyon jumped out to a 5-4 lead in the second following a four-run rally. Wilde homered with Anyssa Montano on to give the Warriors the lead. The teams traded runs in the fourth, and the Falcons tied it in the top of the fifth, 7-7. Snow Canyon proceeded to put two on for Montano, who lifted a fly ball to left, just shy of the wall, where it was dropped by the left fielder, allowing two runs to score. Montano scored on another error the next play.

The 10-7 score that resulted from it held over the final two innings as Thorkelson set down the final six Falcons in order.

For Canyon View, Kenlee Clove and Allen each had a homer and a double. They combined to drive in six runs. Jael Wilde drove in four with a sacrifice, a single and a two-run homer. Montano scored three runs.

Snow Canyon stays a perfect 8-0 in Region 9 play and 18-4 overall. They host Pine View on Tuesday.

Canyon View slips to third in the standings at 5-3/11-4. The Falcons travel to Desert Hills next.

Late Cedar rally costs Pine View first Region 9 win, series

April 13: Cedar 16, Pine View 6

Friday: Cedar 4, Pine View 3

On April 13, a 10-run third cost Pine View any shot of competing at Cedar. The Reds slapped nine hits, including two homers and five doubles in the third frame alone. Kaydee Anderson hit two of the doubles and drove in a run. Kodi Nelson and Sydney Meek had the two long balls.

Meek hit the pop up that fell for an error in the bottom of the fifth that scored the game-winning run, as well.

The Reds had five players record multiple hits led by Payton Naegele’s three. Avery Vest drove in three runs to pace the Reds.

On the mound, Meek allowed a lone run over three innings in the start. Hallie Albrecht gave up five in the fourth inning before pitching a clean fifth.

Four Panthers tallied multi-hit efforts. Lexie Tueller hit a homer and a double, driving in three runs.

When the series moved back to St. George on Friday, Chaisey Milne’s strong start gave the Panthers their best shot at a win to that point in the Region 9 season. Throwing a complete game, she allowed only four singles and no other hits. She kept Cedar off the board through five innings while the offense built a 3-0 lead. Late control issues, however, haunted Milne and the Panthers.

In the bottom of the first, Kaytlyne Hunt hit a one-out double before Tueller advanced her with a single, and Mairen McLellan drove her in with a ground out. They added two more in the fifth as Kiara Nielson singled and scored on a Milne double, who in turn crossed the plate on a Hunt single.

Cedar broke through in the sixth as Milne began to struggle. She gave up a single to Braylee Peterson to start the frame, then walked four in a row after getting the first two outs to bring the Reds within one. After escaping that jam, she hit two Reds in the top of the seventh then gave up a single to load the bases. Peterson scored on a Nelson sacrifice fly. Following another hit by pitch, Naegele walked to score the go ahead run.

In total, Milne hit four batters and walked six. Five of the walks and three of the hit batters came in the sixth and seventh.

Naegele finished her complete game by allowing just two base runners in the final two innings on a single and a hit by pitch. She allowed eight total hits and struck out three. She issued no walks.

Offensively, Hunt went 3-for-4 with two doubles for Pine View. She was the only player to record multiple hits in the game.

Cedar brings their win streak to three games and climb to sixth in the regional standings with a 3-5 league record and 7-11 overall. They play at Crimson Cliffs on Tuesday.

Pine View falls to 0-8 in Region 9 and 4-12 overall. They travel to Snow Canyon next.

Desert Hills bats come alive to sweep Tigers

April 13: Desert Hills 20, Hurricane 6

Friday: Desert Hills 16, Hurricane 11

Braylen Baumgartner’s four-hit, six-RBI day on April 13 gave the Thunder a huge road win in game one.

Baumgartner homered in the seventh to cap a day that saw her also collect a pair of doubles and a single. The blast chipped in to an eight-run rally for the Thunder to slam the door on any chance of a Hurricane comeback.

Not to be outdone, Faith Baumgartner went 3-for-3 with two walks, three RBIs and four runs. She also hit a homer.

Four players for Desert Hills each recorded multi-hit games, each with at least three. Saidey Spencer and Janelle Jones also joined the multi-hit club. Laci Jones hit the Thunder’s third homer.

On the mound, Tatum Gardner gave up 10 hits and allowed four earned runs in the complete game. Sara Davis’ double was the only hit to go for extra bases off Gardner. Morgan Stout and Kaitlin Rasmussen had two-hit games for Hurricane.

At home on Friday, the Thunder scored 10 in the third to guide them to a series sweep.

The Baumgartner sisters each had three-hit games, as did Spencer, to lead the way. Faith had a double and Braylen had a triple, but Desert Hills did not go yard in the game. The Jones sisters each had two hits as well.

The Tigers offense kept them in the game, slapping 14 hits. Riley Fox went 2-for-4, driving in three and scoring three. She hit a homer, Hurricane’s only extra-base hit. Kymbal Jones had a trio of singles and an RBI, and Morgan Stout went 2-for-4.

Desert Hills gets back to .500 at 4-4 in league play and 6-12-1 overall. The Thunder host the Canyon View Falcons on Tuesday.

Hurricane falls to 2-6/6-9. They travel to Dixie next.

Mustangs sweep Flyers, host strike out cancer night

April 13: Crimson Cliffs 11, Dixie 6

Friday: Crimson Cliffs 17, Dixie 0

On April 13 at Dixie, a persistent offense gave Crimson an edge over the Flyers.

The Mustangs scored in every inning but the fourth and scored multiple runs in three frames. They led for the entire game after scoring twice in the first, but at times Dixie got back within a lone run.

Six of Crimson’s 12 hits went for extra bases. Kya Burningham had two doubles and Ellie Herd had a double and a triple. Ashten Taylor had two singles and a double to lead Crimson in hits. The Mustangs also benefitted from a pair of errors that led to six unearned runs.

Malia Davis allowed four runs (two earned) over four innings before McKenna Cahoon struck out seven over the final three frames, allowing two unearned runs on one hit.

For the Flyers, Kylee Terrell threw a complete game, striking out six and walking six.

Debra Tofi and Chloe Ellison each drove in two on homers. Tofi was Dixie’s lone multi-hit collector.

On Friday, Crimson Cliffs honored Ricky Tebbs, father of player Hallee Tebbs, on a strike out cancer night.

Ricky, who has been battling cancer for 10 years, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and the teams wore special uniforms to bring awareness to the disease.

In the actual game, Crimson controlled from the get-go. Cahoon faced the minimum through three and pitched around a single and a walk in the fourth, keeping any Flyer from advancing to third base. She allowed a lone hit over the four-inning contest.

Offensively, Crimson scored twice in the bottom of the first, thrice in the second and exploded for 12 in the fourth as Burningham launched a three-run homer to walk the game off via the 15-run rule.

Hallee Tebbs got the first start of her varsity career, drawing a walk and scoring a run.

Burningham and Aften Roberts each went 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Burningham hit two homers in the game while Roberts hit a triple. Ellie Brinkerhoff also hit a grand slam.

Crimson improves to 7-1 in Region 9 and 17-3 overall after besting Enterprise on April 14. They host Cedar on Tuesday.

Dixie falls to 3-5/6-9 and play host to the Hurricane Tigers next.

Tuesday’s game schedule (April 20)

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

Region 9 softball standings, as of April 19

1. Snow Canyon 8-0 (18-4)
2. Crimson Cliffs 7-1 (17-3)
3. Canyon View 5-3 (11-4)
4. Desert Hills 4-4 (6-12-1)
5. Dixie 3-5 (6-9)
6. Cedar 3-5 (7-11)
7. Hurricane 2-6 (6-9)
8. Pine View 0-8 (4-12)

Cedar City News reporter JEFF RICHARDS contributed to this story.

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