High school softball: PG overcomes early deficit to down Delta

PLEASANT GROVE — It's usually not a good idea to fall behind by four runs in the first inning of a softball game, especially when giving up three hits and an error along the way. It becomes even more of a daunting task if you're dealing with an extremely young team.

But none of those things mattered to the youthful Pleasant Grove Vikings as they spotted Delta four runs in the first inning then chipped away at the lead, finally zipping ahead and finishing things off with an 8-5 victory at home in their first game of the season.

"We just kept picking back at them, battling back. Finally we got a couple of big hits and were able to get the lead," said Pleasant Grove coach Kale Gillman, who is starting four sophomores this season and only one senior.

He was happy with his team's ability to put the first inning out of its mind and to concentrate on scoring run after run, getting themselves back into things without panicking. He was also happy the young team didn't falter at the plate and relegate itself to watching pitches.

"They were swinging the bat, and that's what I like to see. I thought we were swinging pretty well," said Gillman, whose team managed 11 hits while only suffering a single strikeout in the game against the Rabbits.

The Vikings were led by leadoff hitter Cassie Allen, who served up a pair of singles along with a double to get Pleasant Grove rolling from her important position. She also crossed the plate twice and picked up an RBI in the process.

Angie Mikalauski added a pair of singles and three RBIs, while Regan Weber picked up two singles of her own, while crossing the plate twice.

Delta started off hot, putting their first three batters on base as pitcher Devry Fitzgerald started things off with a double, Jessica George reached on an error and Maklee Bliss added a single, loading the bases. Another single by Shanae Johnson scored the first run, and a sacrifice fly by Bailey Steele scored the second. A pair of passed balls brought in the final two runs of the inning for the Rabbits, who didn't score again until the top of the seventh despite Shanel Bliss rocketing a triple to the left center fence in the top of the third.

The Vikings came back with a run in the bottom of the first on the leadoff double by Allen and a single by Mikalauski.

They added two more on singles by Weber and Kenzie Jardine in the bottom of the second with Allen's sacrifice fly scoring one and an error bringing in the second. Only down 4-3, the Vikings completed their comeback in the bottom of the fourth.

An error and a walk were followed by a trio of singles from Allen, Mikalauski and Sammi Dodson and a fielder's choice that Lisa Castleberry sent into the into the infield, scored three more runs and put Pleasant Grove into a 6-3 lead.

The Vikings tacked on a pair in the bottom of the fifth for a nice little cushion. Torrey Best went four innings for Pleasant Grove, picking up seven strikeouts in the victory. Kaylonni Mikalauski replaced her in the fifth to finish things off.

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