High school softball: Big inning helps Skyhawks soar past Bruins

OREM — The cold and wind might have had some effect on both teams when the Salem Hills Skyhawks invaded the softball field at Mountain View on Wednesday, but the third inning was the most decisive factor of all.

Yes, the Skyhawks did bring across a run in the top of the first on a walk and a single to left by shortstop Hailey Ingram, but the real damage happened in the third en route to a 5-1 victory by second-year school Salem Hills over the Bruins.

Leadoff hitter Kylie Williams started everything off with a single to right, and after one out, the Skyhawks' bats really got hot as Ingram pounded a double to deep center field, and Brooke Ford followed with a double to right-center that picked up a pair of runs. One Mountain View error later, and the Skyhawks had picked up their third run of the inning for a 4-0 lead.

That was all they needed as the Bruins, with only four hits in the contest, couldn't pick up more than a single run in the late innings, giving Salem Hills a 2-0 record on the season and a 2-0 record against Region 7 schools.

Salem Hills coach Danielle Ryan was thrilled with her pitcher, Alyssa Ahnder.

"Even though it was cold, she threw hard and her change-up was on," Ryan said.

The junior pitcher will be counted on heavily for her arm and her ever-improving prowess from the circle this season as the Skyhawks battle in perhaps the toughest softball region ever created.

Region 8 will only get three teams into the state tournament this year, and all six schools could most likely land playoff spots in most any other region in the state.

"Our region is tough. It's definitely a softball region," said Ryan, who also noted that she thinks any team making the playoffs from Region 8 will make plenty of noise once they get there.

"I'm really excited about our region, and I'm really excited about our team," said Ryan, who noted that while she didn't believe they showed it against Mountain View, she doesn't have a weak spot in the batting lineup 1-through-9, and she's pretty confident in her team's fielding as well.

The team did manage seven hits in the game, but they also committed five errors. Ryan doesn't believe that shows her team's potential for the year, but that it does show that she has a young team and it's early in the season.

"I think we struggled with the bats today. We're a good hitting team, but we were getting behind it today in the cold, and our hands hurt," Ryan noted.

The Skyhawks added their final run in the top of the fourth on a thrilling play by Williams, as she knocked the ball to deep right field for a triple and came home after a bobble in the outfield as the Bruins tried to stop her progress.

Williams finished with a single, a triple and three runs scored in the game. Ingram added a single and a double, and Ford had her double and two RBIs. Ashley Shephard also added a double for the Skyhawks.

Mountain View got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth, as Eden Price singled up the middle to lead off and scored on a groundout by Alisha Nielsen.

Heather Septon drilled a double for the Bruins in the contest.

e-mail: jolsen@desnews.com