High school softball: Pioneers knock off top-ranked Pleasant Grove

PLEASANT GROVE — After their rough start to the season, the Lehi Pioneers were possibly being overlooked by some of the tough competition in Region 4. They are no longer being overlooked by anyone.

After throwing a huge scare into Spanish Fork last week, eventually losing, the Pioneers took on the No. 1-ranked Pleasant Grove Vikings on the Vikings' home field and came out with a 3-0 win.

Lehi now stands at only 9-6 for the entire season, but the Pioneers are now 4-1 in Region 4 competition, and hoping to give themselves a chance for a first-place league tie heading into the state tournament.

"We got all the bugs worked out of us in the first part of the season," Lehi coach Leslie Warr joked, hoping the statement turns out to be true.

And the team has been winning most of its games since Region 4 play started by outhitting the competition. But they didn't outhit anyone in the matchup against Pleasant Grove. The Pioneers did come up with five hits in the contest, but neither team managed anything for extra bases, and the most hits in an inning were the two singles Lehi managed in the fourth, which didn't produce a run.

Instead, the game-winning runs came in the top of the second after Ashley Zimmerman walked, and her sister Ariel smacked a single to the outfield, where a fielding error was committed, allowing Ashley to score. The Vikings' infield committed the second error of the inning, allowing the second run to score on a subsequent play as Kjersti Secretan hit the ball off the third baseman's foot.

"Today our top hitters were not getting the extra-base hits. It was the bottom of the lineup that was creating the situations that allowed us to score. This was a good win for us, a confidence-builder. Pleasant Grove is a solid program," said Warr.

Meanwhile, Lehi pitcher Ariel Zimmerman only allowed three hits to a tough Pleasant Grove team while striking out nine in the shutout.

"Ariel pitched a great game. She was hitting spots very well, and made them hit what she wanted them to hit," Warr added.

She was also impressed with the Pleasant Grove pitching staff, which combined for seven strikeouts and only allowed the five hits. Kayloni Mikalauski started the game and was replaced in the top of the fourth with younger sister Angie, as both squads field a pair of top pitchers, who are sisters.

"I know those Mikalauski sisters keep the ball low, and it's tough to hit. It meant we had to put runs on the board in other ways," added Warr.

Lehi picked up the insurance run in the top of the sixth as Ashley Zimmerman reached on an error, Ariel Zimmerman sent her to third with a single to center field, and Secretan picked up the RBI on a sacrifice bunt.

Ariel Zimmerman had three singles to go along with her tough performance from the circle.

Mac Larson, Lexie Schoonover and Sammi Dodson each picked up a single for Pleasant Grove, which stranded seven runners. The Vikings have now lost two in a row after starting the season 8-0.

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