A tournament of games Friday and Saturday that was supposed to provide a measuring stick for the young North Sanpete Lady Hawks softball team mostly didn’t happen.
North Sanpete did play a full game Friday night in St. George against Cedar Valley, winning 10-5. And the Lady Hawks got in two-and-a-half innings Friday morning against Dixie, with North Sanpete leading, 8-1, to begin their participation in the tournament. But North Sanpete’s Saturday games against Salem Hills, Carbon and Mountain View were canceled due to rain or snow. On a couple of occasions, there were two to three inches on the ground, Coach Landon Bailey said.
“We were supposed to have played five games and [instead] got six or seven innings in,” Bailey said. “It’s hard to know how good we are doing and how these girls are doing … and that’s what these [non-region] games are supposed to be.”
Also, on Tuesday, March 9, North Sanpete lost 11-6 at Grand Canyon.
“We knew the first game was going to be pretty rough with so many new players playing new positions,” Bailey said. “But overall, I thought we played pretty well.”
Heather Howarth pitched for the Lady Hawks.
She “did really well for her first varsity game pitching,” Bailey said.
North Sanpete made some errors that cost them the game. But they excelled offensively and the Lady Red Devils are a good team, Bailey said.
Emma Wightman batted two runs in and Graciee Christiansen and Jada Bailey each got one, with Wightman hitting a two-run home run in the last inning, Bailey said.
“Graciee’s definitely a leader on the team and we need her to hit well every game and she so far has been,” Bailey said.
North Sanpete needs Jada to hit well, Bailey said.
In leading 8-1 two-and-a-half innings in against Dixie, the Lady Hawks started out really well, Bailey said.
“We played like an inning-and-a-half in a complete blizzard, so it was tough for both teams,” Bailey said.
Even the Cedar Valley win was shortened to four or five innings, Bailey said.
Christiansen pitched and hit a double and home run in the game. Overall, North Sanpete “finally got hitting a little better” and the Aviators hit well, Bailey said.
A few younger girls stepped into the lineup.
“That’s how a lot of these early games are going to be—different lineups,” Bailey said. He noted that his team will have six or seven constant starters, but rotate two or three otherwise. He was hoping to get that figured out in the tournament, Bailey said.
“Hopefully, the weather cooperates so we can start getting some games in,” Bailey said.
