Dons' runs, lack of time doom Lions

SPANISH FORK— Bridgett Miller threw 10 strikeouts, and the Dons pushed two runs across the plate in the fourth inning en route to No. 3 Spanish Fork's 5-1 victory over rival Payson in a Region 6 contest.

The Lions ran out of time as the Dons added two runs to their total in the bottom of the sixth inning and extended the game past the two-hour limit, leaving Payson without a chance to even the score in the top of the seventh.

"I think we were pretty lucky tonight," said Spanish Fork coach Don Andrews. "All we've got to do to become a good team is somehow to get hold of the mental part of the game."

The Dons found themselves behind early after Payson put its only run of the game on the scoreboard in the top of the first.

Sandy Marvin punched a double into deep left field and advanced to third on La-Shauna Price's groundout to the pitcher. Joqell Hogan dumped a single into shallow right to score Marvin, but the Lions couldn't find a way to put a run on the board the rest of the way.

Spanish Fork tied it up in the bottom of the third after Lauri Howell pounded a triple into deep center field, and Jessica Anderson sent her home with a single to short right. But the fourth inning was the key to Spanish Fork's victory.

After Marvin struck out the first batter of the inning, freshman back-up catcher Susan Cole hammered a single to center field, advanced to second on a groundout by Miller and stole third.

"Susan is a very good player," Andrews said. "She has experience, good skills, hits the ball and is a real athlete."

Second baseman Teresa Barney then walked to put runners at first and third, and Lauri Howell singled to right field to send Cole home. The Lions tried to throw Barney out at third, but the toss went awry and into dead ball territory. Barney was on third base at the time and was given the extra base due to the dead ball rule, which gave the Dons their third run of the game and put them ahead 3-1.

With time running out, Marvin took the mound again to try to stop the Dons quickly in the bottom of the sixth so that Payson could get up to the plate for the top of the seventh. It became a game of cat and mouse as the Lions tried to rush and the Dons slowed things down.

Two Spanish Fork runs in the bottom of the sixth made the point moot, and the two hour mark hit, leaving the Dons with the tough region victory.