Jumping for joy in Spanish Fork

TAYLORSVILLE — Don Andrews knew Susan Cole was capable of great things.

As he watched the junior catcher struggle at the plate this season, the Spanish Fork softball coach struggled with how to convince her of the possibilities he saw. So just before the 5A playoffs began, he took her aside and talked to her about playing to her potential.

"I'm playing very different," said Cole after the Dons defeated region 4 champion Timpanogos 4-0 in the 5A state championship game at the Valley Complex Thursday. "We had a heart-to-heart, where we just talked about me needing to relax . . . I just felt like I wanted to hit it so bad, I wasn't able to relax."

After that pep talk, Cole said she made a point of taking deep breaths before entering the batter's box and giving the task of hitting her full attention. Her changes worked as she hit her third home run this week and led the Dons' powerful offense to its second win in two days against second-ranked Timpanogos.

Cole went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs in the win, but more importantly she gave her team confidence just when they needed it. The T-wolves started reliever Tasia Law because they thought they'd have to play three games Thursday in order to win the title. In the top of the fourth inning, Timpanogos ace Alli Bramwell stepped into the circle and the Dons worried they might have missed an opportunity.

Spanish Fork failed to score a single run against Bramwell's pitching during region play, and while they scored five runs against her in Wednesday night's semifinal win, the plan was to build up a lead while Law was throwing. When Bramwell took over, the Dons were nursing a two-run lead.

"I told them we missed an opportunity," said Andrews. "I said, 'Now we have to go get Bramwell.' "

That's exactly what Cole did. As the first batter to face Bramwell in the game, she hit a home run over the left-field fence.

"I was kind of nervous because I thought we'd score more (against Law)," she said. "I think maybe we just got used to Alli. She's an awesome pitcher, but after seeing her so many times, maybe we got used to her."

Andrews wasn't surprised by Cole's consistency during the tournament — only that it came so late in the season.

"She turned it on," he said with a grin. "That's what she's capable of. She shows flashes of brilliance. I think she just turned the corner, and now she's heading up easy street."