BICKNELL—Against the red-hot Lady Bulldogs, all the Wayne Badgers could do was snarl.
Gunnison Valley softball picked up two wins almost effortlessly last week, sweeping the series against region foe Wayne with an 18-3 win followed by a 19-6 win. The first game was over in the third inning. The Lady Bulldogs moved their overall record to 12-8, with a 7-1 record in the 2A Central region.
“Some of the most important things for the team to remember would be to be confident in themselves and each other, continue to work hard, and not to count any team out,” assistant coach Chelsea Harris said.
The Lady Bulldogs made it clear to the Badgers early on that they weren’t equipped to compete with Gunnison. After Wayne hopped out to a modest 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning, the Lady Bulldogs’ batters launched a full broadside on the unsuspecting defense, hitting three home runs and three doubles all in one inning to score all 18 of their runs at the top of the second. When Wayne simply could do nothing to answer, the game was ended on the mercy rule after the third inning. Freshman Maile Ha’o hit two home runs and finished with four RBI. Senior Kennedi Knudsen had the third homer and finished with three RBI.
In the second game, Gunnison continued to dominate, but this time over a gradual period. Gunnison collected 16 total hits and beat Wayne over five innings instead of three (or one, practically). They continued to own the defense with countless big hits as Ha’o, Knudsen, and senior Raven Pickett all hit a home run each, and the team combined for five doubles and two triples. Junior JaKelle Sorensen led the way with four RBI. Eight different players scored at least one RBI.
After traveling to play region rival North Sevier on Tuesday, the Lady Bulldogs will play ln the road against Emery, then return home on Thursday to host South Summit.
