High school softball: Vikings in better playoff shape after win

HIGHLAND — It was not an attractive way to score runs. In fact it was downright ugly. But it doesn't matter how pretty the scores are as long as they result in a win for your team, especially if it's a game in the midst of a huge battle for a spot in the playoffs.

The Pleasant Grove Vikings weren't in the least upset that their runs came off of passed balls and batters hit by pitches and failed fielder's choice plays. They won the game 3-0 against the Lone Peak Knights, and that's all that mattered.

With only three spots available in the state tournament this season for Region 4, and Spanish Fork pretty much having guaranteed itself the top spot, that leaves only two positions for the next three teams. Coming into the Tuesday night action, Lehi and Pleasant Grove were tied for second with 4-2 records, and the Knights were only one game behind at 3-3.Whichever team won this battle would take the lead in the fight for the third place playoff spot as each has a game against tough No. 1-ranked Spanish Fork remaining on its schedule, and the Pioneers have already played the juggernaughts twice.

"This was a huge game. Now, we're fighting for playoff positioning more than fighting just to get into the playoffs after the win. This was the biggest game of the year for us so far," said Pleasant Grove assistant coach Tim Kennedy, who had to take over coaching duties for head coach Kale Gillman just for this game.

The victory puts Pleasant Grove into a tie with Lehi at 5-2 in the league with the Knights now fighting a sinking battle at 3-4 and in a distant fourth place.

And it all rested on a single inning, a single inning with plenty of mishaps and three simple runs.

Neither pitcher was allowing anyone to get anything going, and the defenses had been spectacular up to the time the Vikings stepped to the plate in the top of the fourth.

After Lisa Castleberry started things off for Pleasant Grove with a smooth triple to the left-field fence, things started unraveling for Lone Peak.

Sammi Dodson was hit by a pitch, which was quickly followed by a passed ball that allowed the first run to score. Regan Weber was also hit by the pitcher, Raven King, who'd had a six-strike out game to that point. She was pulled in favor of Whitney Stevens, and the next batter up, Angie Mikalauski, hit into a fielders choice, and the runner at home was called safe. Mikalauski picked up the only RBI of the game on that play.

Another passed ball scored the third run before Lone Peak righted itself.