5A high school softball: Bingham captures 2nd straight title

TAYLORSVILLE — Late in Thursday's 5A state championship softball game, a large group of rowdy Bingham Miners male fans just behind the center-field fence took off their shirts and proudly revealed that they had painted their chests with letters stating "back to back" on them.

And their painted statement proved true, as the Miners took out the Viewmont Vikings 8-2 to take their second straight state title. And they seemed even happier about the repeat than they were about that first championship last season.

"For me, it was really different because I contributed more this year than last year. It was also great to go back to back. It was that same awesome feeling times two," said Bingham pitcher/first baseman Cienna Smith.

Smith and tournament MVP Tori Almond split time in the circle during the tournament, with each of them sliding over to first when not throwing strikes and balls.

And it was an entire team effort, as the Miners had 13 hits in the contest and only committed one error.

The Vikings started the scoring off in the first inning, as Megan Peay beat out a throw for a single and Shelbi Tyteca tripled her home for the 1-0 lead.

But that lead didn't last long, as the Miners came back strong in the bottom of the first with four hits and scored two runs of their own. Whitney Lewis started off the inning with a single, followed by a Rachel Mike double and two more singles by Shanna Painter and Almond, who finished with seven strikeouts in just three innings.

But the game was close until Bingham broke things open in the bottom of the fifth on five hits, two errors and a wild pitch. Singles by Mike, Painter, Whitney Littledike and Smith and a double by Meghan Herrick, who scored the game-winning run to put the Miners into the winners' bracket Wednesday night, gave Bingham a seemingly insurmountable lead.

But the Miners weren't done yet.

"Even with a six-run lead, I knew I could not relax because they have the ability to come back," said Almond, who was a little shocked to find herself signing autographs after the game.

"It just all came together. We got that big lead, and that helped us stay calm in the circle, and I'm so proud of our team," added Almond, noting that it was nice to have the easier road of coming through the winners' bracket instead of having to fight their way all the way back through the one-loss bracket like they did for their title last season.