Coach Larsen used this game as an opportunity to give his team some field time against a very good opponent, and some of the inexperience of his players showed at key times of the game.

The contest started out well enough for the home team and in the top half of the first inning, Fountain Green senior Laney Jacobsen took the mound for the Lady Hawks. Jacobsen is the lone returning pitcher with varsity experience for North Sanpete and she started out making a strong showing, shutting down the Lady Buffaloes and their boastful offense.

Tooele came into this game with a stellar 5-2 record, with their first victory, a 7-0 shutout recorded against Woods Cross High. Their second win was another shutout, 6-0 against Wasatch. The Buffaloes only two losses came against a large Centennial, Nevada school, and 5A Bingham.

The Lady Hawks were unable to get anything of their own going in their half of the initial inning, and the score remained knotted as a shutout.

That soon changed as Tooele got their second chance at Laney putting their second batter of the inning on base with a solid single. Two hitters later the Buffaloes laced a triple and the first run of the game was scored.

North Sanpete got a runner of its own on base in the second inning as shortstop Aubree Poulson got a single of her own. The Fairview senior had three hits in the contest, but her team was never able to get her around the bases before the third out was recorded. This despite the fact that Poulson also stole second base every time she reached first.

In the next inning, Tooele took advantage of two hit batters, both of which came around to score, along with one other runner, and suddenly the score was 4-0 in favor of the visiting Buffaloes.

At this point, Coach Larsen began substituting players into the game. Tooele put two runs across the plate in both the fifth and sixth innings for the final tally.

Lady Hawk first baseman Erika May was also a bright spot offensively for Coach Larsen, as she recorded a double in the third inning and a single in the fifth, joining Poulson as the only other Lady Hawk with more than one hit.

One real trouble spot for Coach Larsen comes in the form of starting third baseman Julia Taylor’s, thumb. While at bat, an inside pitch hit Taylor’s hand, resulting in a broken thumb. It is unknown how long she will need to be out of the lineup.

Payson Lions

Coming from their shutout loss to Tooele, the Lady Hawks took care of the 4As Payson Lions in good fashion, earning their first win of the season, 7-4.

Coach Larsen went to an arm that he used numerous times during last season, owned by Fountain Green senior Laney Jacobsen. The young lady gave up four runs against the tough Buffaloes and began the game shakily against the Lions. Jacobsen gave up two runs to the visitors in the first inning.

The Lady Hawks showed Laney that they had her back, coming back to score two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first. “We were able to get our short game working,” said Coach Larsen, and when we can do that, it opens up a lot of the rest of our game.”

Part of the “rest of the game” that Larsen was speaking of came in the form of Laney’s team mate, Fairview senior Skyler Dunn. The catcher blasted a pitch beyond the outfielders and before she stopped, she had touched all four bases and driven in the two base runners in front of her.

Laney also helped herself out on the offensive side as she went 3-4, all singles and had three stolen bases and an RBI. She scored the first run of the game due to a sacrifice bunt from junior Erika May.

North Sanpete continued to hold their advantage and as it appeared that Jacobsen’s arm was beginning to tire, Coach Larsen placed Fairview junior, Teasha Earl, into the game to close things out, sealing the Lady Hawk’s first victory of the season.

The team will travel to the even warmer climes of St. George to go to the always competitive Dixie Tournament. The Lady Hawks have traditionally done quite well on this trip and Coach Larsen is expecting to see the same from this year’s squad.

The team will be there on both Friday and Saturday, playing four games. This weekend will go a long way to helping the team mature and let the coaching staff see just who is going to be able to help them to this year’s region and state title run.

North Sanpete will need this time as they open Region 8 play Tuesday, March 27 against the visiting Delta Rabbits and Juan Diego’s Soaring Eagle March 29.