GUNNISON—Coming into region play, the Lady Bulldogs have proven that there is one thing they can definitely do well: score.
Gunnison softball lit up home plate in consecutive games leading up to the beginning of region play as they demolished Piute, 21-6, last Tuesday and outran Beaver, 15-11, last Wednesday.
They subsequently faced Duchesne in their first region doubleheader and split the series, losing the first, 12-9, and winning the second in a rare low-scoring matchup, 5-4. The Lady Bulldogs now sit at 6-5 overall on the season, currently the only baseball or softball team in the county with a winning record, and are 3-1 in region play.
“We have played well and have played some difficult teams,” Coach Sara Ellsworth said. “We have won the games I expected to win, and have come out on top of a few tougher matchups.”
Gunnison’s effort against the visiting Thunderbirds was a wholesale batting clinic as the Lady Bulldogs racked up 15 total hits and 13 RBI. A member of each graduating class managed a double as senior Kennedi Knudsen, junior JaKelle Sorensen, sophomore Robyn Christiansen, and freshman Maile Ha’o each hit a double. Sorensen and Christiansen each notched three RBI to lead the team. The game was over after four innings.
As if the bats of the Bulldogs hadn’t done enough work, Gunnison racked up a shocking 20 total hits against the Beavers in their next game. Ha’o led the charge with a home run and a double, notching two RBI. Sorensen also hit a home run and had three RBI. Gunnison heated up early and sported a 12-3 lead after three innings and held on through the rest for the win.
Duchesne proved a far tougher task for the offensive-minded Bulldogs. Although Gunnison had 11 total hits on the Eagles in the first game, the scoring didn’t translate like it did before. Meanwhile, Duchesne got eight RBI out of only two players. Senior Raven Pickett had four RBI for the Bulldogs. Gunnison managed to hold a late lead, 9-7, going into the bottom of the sixth, but the Eagles peeled off five runs to pull ahead for good.
In the second game, the Bulldogs upped their defensive game and held the Eagles to a low-scoring affair. While junior Lexee Keisel led at the plate with three RBI on two hits, Pickett was impressive on defense, securing the third double play for the Bulldogs this season.
Gunnison’s next challenge will be up north next Saturday in the Payson Varsity Tournament, where they’ll face 6A Bingham, Union, Juab and North Sanpete. They’ll return home the following Tuesday to take on North Summit.
