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How sweet it is: Spanish Fork softball rallies through adversity to win third straight 5A title

By Jared Lloyd - | May 26, 2023
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Spanish Fork players celebrate as the first runner, sophomore Shelbee Shepherd (12) scores after a three-run home run during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players pose for a photo after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior catcher Paige Pierce talks to senior Avery Sapp and Peyton Hall after hitting a home run during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior third baseman Peyton Hall slides safely into third during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate as senior catcher Paige Pierce scores after hitting a three-run home run during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior pitcher Avery Sapp throws a pitch during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior third baseman Peyton Hall tags out a runner during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork sophomore shortstop Jade Romero catches a pop fly during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior left fielder Ellie Olson (left) and freshman centerfielder Lia Higginson collide as they chase down a fly ball during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players pump each other up before Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork junior second baseman Tatum Hall bunts the ball during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior Peyton Hall and Paige Pierce accept the state title trophy after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork junior first baseman Alyce Archuleta catches the ball for a force out during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate after junior second baseman Tatum Hall hit a home run during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork head coach Natalie Jarvis encourages her team during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork sophomore shortstop Jade Romero tags out a baserunner during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players cheer on their team in the dugout during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork senior catcher Paige Pierce grins after hitting a home run during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate with the state title trophy after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork junior first baseman Alyce Archuleta watches a pitch during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork freshman centerfielder Lia Higginson catches a fly ball during Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.
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Spanish Fork players stand for the national anthem before Game 2 of the 5A state championship series against Bountiful at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 26, 2023.

It feels sweet to completely control a state championship game … but sometimes overcoming adversity is even sweeter.

Just ask the Spanish Fork softball team, who was going for its third straight 5A crown on Friday at Gail Miller Field in Provo but found itself in the unusual position of being behind.

The top-seeded Dons knew that — having beaten No. 2-seed Bountiful, 1-0, in the first game of the best-of-three 5A championship series on Thursday — even if they lost in Game 2 they would get another shot in a deciding third game.

But they also knew they hadn’t played their best and the Redhawks had seized the momentum.

After 11 consecutive innings without giving up a run, Spanish Fork had struggled through the top of the fifth inning, surrendering five hits to Bountiful and making four uncharacteristic errors.

Somehow, however, the Dons had kept the Redhawks to just three runs. Even though Spanish Fork had only scored a single run in the two games to that point, it still wasn’t an insurmountable deficit.

“When they got those three runs, I came out to the circle,” Don head coach Natalie Jarvis said. “I was not very happy with my team, not necessarily because of the errors. They showed an intensity getting on each other and I’ve never seen that before. So I went out right down and put a stop to that. I said to them, ‘if we cannot score three runs, we do not deserve to win this game.’ And they came in and it was like a whole new team.”

Imagine being Spanish Fork senior catcher Paige Pierce in that moment, who had seen her routine throw to first sail high and result in two of the Bountiful runs scoring.

“It was a little discouraging, but I knew I couldn’t let that control my at-bat,” Pierce said. “I had to come out on top, play my game and get over that play.”

Her turn to bat came in the bottom half of the inning with the Dons having already gotten two of the runs back. Although the Redhawks still led, Spanish Fork had runners at first and second with just one out.

At the end of the Don dugout, a small chorus of young fans had been chanting, “let’s go Dons!” for much of the game. For some reason, during a brief break in the action, they decided to change their chant to “hit a home run!”

While Pierce didn’t specifically hear them, she followed their instructions to the letter and got redemption by hammering a game-changing three-run blast over the fence in left-center field.

“Their pitcher been throwing outside the entire game,” Pierce said. “I just knew that if I got on top of the plate and just kept my hands through that it was going. I had it on my second hit but it got caught. But I knew I had that there.”

The relief and joy at making the big rally and going in front made both senior pitcher Avery Sapp and senior third baseman Peyton Hall feel an elation that was different than they had felt in previous championship runs.

“Afterwards, I got lightheaded,” Sapp said. “I felt like I was going to pass out from screaming so much. I got in the dugout and I just started crying. The emotions were just too much. It was so overwhelming. There were all these emotions and I couldn’t control them.”

Hall said: “It was so freaking close and the emotions were so high. When Paige hit that home run, I felt like I was almost just going to lose it. It was just the best feeling ever.”

Jarvis lauded Pierce for standing tall and coming through in a critical moment.

“Paige just came into her own this year,” Jarvis said. “It was so fun to see that girl sign to go to college and come here and call the pitches to control the game. It meant so much to me to see her perform. I could not be more proud of Paige Pierce.”

As what that hit had done sank in, the Dons realized that another title was just a few outs away. With Sapp in the circle, Spanish Fork could taste the victory.

“Avery just fought through,” Jarvis said. “You could see she wasn’t happy with herself on certain pitches, but she kept battling. She gave everything she could out there.”

Spanish Fork added a second three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, this one from junior second baseman Tatum Hall (Peyton Hall’s younger sister) to extend the lead.

Then the Don pitching and defense shut the door.

“I’ve pitched every single game in this state tournament, so I got a little sore there,” Sapp said. “But I knew the defense would get us outs. There were a little bit of a nervous butterflies in my stomach but I knew we’d pull through.”

Although Bountiful punched one more run across in the top of the seventh, the Dons closed out the 8-4 win to secure another three-peat.

“This was two of the best teams right here and you could tell,” Jarvis said. “That’s was the glory of it. Having the No. 1 and No. 2 teams battling it out, that’s what this game is all about. That’s what the championship is all about. It was fun to have to earn it. It was fun to see them have to find what it took to earn it.”

When they finally got that last out, the Dons got to celebrate being atop the 5A softball world once again.

“We showed that we are a quality team and that we are the best in Class 5A,” Pierce said. “The unity we have is the best this year. We are all so close. It was such a good atmosphere to come to softball each day with these girls.”

Sapp agreed that the camaraderie of the team made an enormous difference, which also made the end of the game bittersweet and emotional in a different way.

“It’s my last year and this was my last game, my last time wearing this uniform as I’m playing with these girls,” Sapp said. “The amount of friendships that I’ve gained and all the support has been amazing. These are all friendships that will last a lifetime.”

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