4A high school softball championship: Buffaloes show they belong, capture 2nd straight crown

TAYLORSVILLE — Two of the state's biggest softball heavyweights went toe-to-toe on the Valley Softball Complex ring in the 4A state championship, with the winner claiming its second straight state title.

Both Murray and Tooele came in as defending state champions, but it was the Buffaloes that added another trophy to the case as they came out on top in a tough contest, taking out the Spartans for the second time in two days. It was 4-3 Tooele in the state championship matchup, and the Buffaloes felt vindicated that they could play with anyone in the state, even at the next-highest level.

After coming up victorious in the 3A championship in four of the previous five seasons, the Buffaloes were moved up to the 4A ranks this year and had the chance to play those higher-division teams when it really counted.

"We proved we can play in any division and still be on the top," said Tooele freshman Marissa Mendenhall, who smacked a single deep into the outfield in the bottom of the seventh with one out and a runner on first for the game-winning RBI.

After 2 1/2 scoreless innings, the Buffaloes took charge in the third as Matti Snow led things off with a single and, with one out, Kelsey Mendenhall painted the third-base line with an RBI double to put the Buffaloes on the scoreboard. Brittany Gonzales added an RBI single up the middle to give Tooele a 2-0 lead.

But that lead was short-lived as the Spartans, who barely survived an earlier shootout with Bountiful just to get to the championship game, went on a little roll of their own.

Freshman pitcher Taylor Gallegos singled up the middle to start the inning, and with one out, Mallory Hyland added another single to put a pair on the bases for Ciera Nordin. Nordin then proceeded to crush one over the center-field fence for a three-run homer and a 3-2 lead.

"I knew they were good hitters, and today was not my day, so I just tried to get it into the strike zone and trusted my defenders," said 4A tournament MVP Lauren Folta, whose team only gave up 10 total runs in its five tournament games.

"This is great for senior year and our first year in 4A. It's really a relief, we wanted it so badly," Folta, who has signed to play for Dixie State next season, said.

After Murray took the 3-2 lead, neither team could add a run to the board through the top half of the sixth inning, as the Buffaloes left three stranded in the fifth.

But they came out strong with plenty of intensity in the bottom of the sixth as unsung hero Jordan McMain doubled one under the left-field fence to put herself into scoring position with two outs. Snow came through with a blooper to short right center that scored McMain and evened things up at 3-3.

Comments