High school 5A softball: Viewmont breaks out of hitting slump in win over Riverton

RIVERTON — The Viewmont Vikings proved there is no cure for a hitting slump like a little practice — and a lot of confidence.

"We've been in a slump a little bit," said Viking pitcher Shelby Tyteca after Viewmont defeated higher-seeded Riverton 4-0 in the first round of the 5A state softball tournament Tuesday. "We worked really hard on it in practice. It was pretty intense."

In addition to some technical adjustments, the Vikings felt that they had something to prove when they lost a coin toss that sent them into the tournament as a No. 3 seed.

"All of us knew we were better than a No. 3 seed," said catcher Katie Bowdigge. "We just wanted to show everyone that."

The Vikings did that with phenomenal pitching from Tyteca, flawless fielding and impressive offense. Tyteca, who will play softball for Utah State next season, earned 12 strikeouts.

"It was nice to have some hits," Tyteca said.

The hits started midway through the game with the first run coming in the fourth inning. It was the fifth inning that broke the game open, starting with a rip to right-center from Tyteca. Calli Randall hit the ball to almost the exact same spot, and a pinch runner for Tyteca scored on a wild pitch. Jen Kichins' single scored one run. Lexi Wayman's single scored the third run of the inning.

The team's captains said the squad didn't worry much about standings, seedings or rankings, but instead focused on the goals they'd set for themselves.

"We don't think about that much," said Kichins, the team's shortstop. "We're a good team."

The players said it's their friendship that has seen them through adversity.

"We're a really close team," said Bowdigge. "We could tell things were different today, even in warm-ups."

The fact that the game had multiple contributors made the team's coach happy.

"Today was a group win," said Vikings coach Tiffany Randall. "That's what I'm happiest about. Everyone contributed."

Both coaches and players knew Tuesday's game would be a particularly tough way to start the playoffs.

"This is not a first-round game," said Randall. "That was kind of tough."

E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com