High school softball: Roy pitcher shrugs off late runs to close deal

BOUNTIFUL — Roy pitcher MaCauley Flint takes any batter getting on base personally.

So when Bountiful hit back-to-back doubles and scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, her coaches called a timeout.

"She's a very competitive kid," said Travis Flint, Roy's assistant coach and MaCauley's father. "She doesn't like to give up a run, so I just called a time out to try and get her to catch her breath, slow down. I told them we might have lost the battle (shutout), but let's go win the war."MaCauley and her teammates got the next two batters out, one flew out to shortstop Krystin Jachim and the other struck out — to earn the 4-2 victory over second-ranked Bountiful.

"That was a good win for us," said Travis Flint, who is also the brother of Roy's head coach Mandy Flint. "Lexi Hart (the game's final out) is one of the best hitters in the state. ... And we didn't want to see Madi (White). Bountiful is one of those teams that is very difficult to get out in the final innings of a game."Roy scored its first run in the top of the fifth inning on a wild pitch. The second run came when Shelby Burner entered the game as a pinch-hitter and smacked a double to left field that allowed Jessica Kirvan to cross the plate.

The Royals scored two more runs in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice by Jessyca Fulmer. Bountiful answered with a double by Heather Stucki, who then scored when Alli Hock smacked a double to right centerfield.

"We let up defensively in the sixth and seventh inning," said Braves head coach Butch Latey. "We made a couple of errors."

It was the second game in two days for Bountiful, and the schedule doesn't get any easier with Bonneville on Friday.

For Roy, it was nice to make a statement about just how deep the Royals really are this season.

"Bountiful is one of he toughest teams in the state to get 21 outs against," said Travis Flint. "We played well; we pitched well and we hit well. We did leave a lot of runners on base, but this is a pretty talented team. They did a good job today of learning from every at bat."MaCauley Flint said her father's timeout helped her settle down and deliver the final two outs.

"It helped me get more focused," she said. "He knew I was rushing it. ... He wanted me to take a breather."

MaCauley finished the game with 10 strikeouts and a hit, and would have had a home run were it not for a phenomenal defensive play by Bountiful's centerfielder, who caught the long fly ball and then crashed through the plastic fence.

"Playing in our region is a definite advantage," said MaCauley of Region 5. "I love how every game is a challenge for us."

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