Robert leads out to help Gunnison softball win two doubleheaders
Matt Harris
Staff writer
4-20-2017
GUNNISON—Ashley. Roberts. Remember her.
Roberts, a senior, was the top dog last Tuesday and Wednesday, April 11-12, when the Gunnison softball team pulled out a pair of wins in a doubleheader against North Sevier, 18-5 and 11-10, respectively.
Over the course of both games, Roberts got two homeruns and a combined eight RBIs.
The Lady Bulldogs are now 9-4 and have a 2-0 region record, putting them currently in first place in Region 15, though Gunnison was the last team to start region play.
Senior day came early for the Lady Bulldogs last Tuesday when they romped over the Lady Wolves in the first game. Gunnison’s only seniors, Roberts and Jerusha Miner, had a day with a home run each. Miner also had a double. Overall, North Sevier simply couldn’t keep Gunnison off the plate as the Lady Bulldogs combined for 24 hits on the game.
Despite the high output offensively, the game had a slower pace at the beginning with Gunnison holding an edge after the second inning, 2-1. But Gunnison blew it away in the third with five scores. In the fifth inning, Gunnison scored two runs to increase the lead to 9-2, but North Sevier would not be kept down, scoring three to trim the lead.
Finally, the Lady Bulldogs put a final nail in the coffin by getting a huge scoring run to get the game called to an end in the sixth inning.
Every player scored for Gunnison, with all players but sophomore Tayler Brackett notching at least one RBI. Brackett made up the difference with two runs. The Lady Bulldogs combined for seven doubles.
“The team had good team spirit as they went into the game,” head coach Tyson Brackett said. “Our hitting and defense was great.”
In the second game, North Sevier came far readier to play, giving Gunnison everything they could handle. The Lady Wolves were first on the board with a run in the top of the first inning, and Gunnison responded in the second with a run.
At the end of three innings, North Sevier held a 4-3 advantage, and the Lady Bulldogs got going. They scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. Then the Lady Wolves threw a haymaker in the top of the sixth inning by scoring five runs for the largest lead of the game, 9-6.
Gunnison was not done. They would answer back with four runs and retake the lead 10-9. The Lady Wolves squeaked one in at the top of the seventh to tie it up in the final inning, but the Lady Bulldogs had the last word, scoring one last run at the bottom of the seventh to take the game in a thriller.
Roberts had yet another home run in that game. She combined for eight RBI in the series. Sophomore Emily Brackett also hit a homer on another great hitting day for Gunnison, combining for 15 hits, five doubles, and no strikeouts.
“I stressed to the girls the importance of softball not having a letdown a day after run-ruling them the day before,” Brackett said. “North Sevier brought it a little more and we were kind of on our heels. Our defense and pitching wasn’t as great as it was the day before, but we battled through and did what we needed to do to get the win.”
Coming up, the Lady Bulldogs face a tough test in a road doubleheader against Grand County. Those games were on Tuesday (score unavailable at press time), and the Lady Bulldogs had another game yesterday at home against Parowan.
Their next game is at home against Emery next Tuesday, April 25, at 3:30 p.m.
