High school softball: One big inning enough for the Vikings

PLEASANT GROVE — The Pleasant Grove softball team is in the midst of putting together a pretty special season. With the Vikings' 3-0 victory over Lone Peak, they extended their winning streak to eight games to begin the season and now hold a 2-0 record in tough Region 4.

"It's been a long time since I've even coached a team that was 8-0," said Pleasant Grove coach Kale Gillman, who's been involved with numerous successful high school softball teams in Utah County.

And there are many reasons his team has found its way to an 8-0 start this season. There's the three-headed monster pitching staff they've put together, there's the solid hitting and fielding corps that, though young, isn't nearly as inexperienced as it seems on paper, and there's that gut feeling Gillman's had several times this year.

"I've been fortunate to pick on the right person at the right time," said Gillman, referring to his last-second decision to start Jentri White.

White has played mostly junior varsity ball this season, but had been hitting the ball pretty well at that level, and Gillman said, "I just had an inspiration to put Jentri into the lineup. Then she got the big hit."

White did find herself up to bat at just the right time in the bottom of the fifth as Lone Peak pitcher Raven King had given up no hits and only allowed two baserunners up to the decisive inning.

Then the Vikings suddenly found their bats with four straight hits. Angie Mikalauski picked up a single to lead off the inning, followed by a bloop single into short center from Torrey Best and another single to Sammi Dodson that filled the bases.

White then calmly stepped up to the plate and stunned the Lone Peak crowd by knocking a triple to the fence in center field, picking up three RBIs in the process. That was all the scoring Pleasant Grove needed, and the final punch was swatted by a first-time starter.

"I just told them it's time we make plays. Fortunately we hit the ball to the fence. We just talked about hitting the ball where it was pitched. It was time to choke up and put the ball on the ground a little bit," Gillman said about the conversation he had with his team before the players stepped into the batters' box in the bottom of the fifth.

But though that one inning turned out to be the big difference, neither team's pitcher has anything to feel bad about. Lone Peak's King only allowed those four hits in the fifth inning in addition to four walks while striking out 10 batters and only allowing seven total Pleasant Grove baserunners.

Pleasant Grove's Mikalauski walked three, gave up only two hits in the shutout and struck out eight. She only allowed six total Lone Peak baserunners as one batter reached base on the sole error in the contest.

Lone Peak's only hits came off of a triple in the first by Rachel Schoonmaker and a single by King in the sixth.

E-mail: jolsen@desnews.com