This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Murray • For a freshman, Cyprus pitcher Alexis Poulsen sure can get into the heads of more experienced high school softball players sometimes.

The way the lefty ninth-grader does it, in general, is through adeptly changing speeds and keeping opposing hitters off-balance.

Suffice it to say that the Cottonwood Colts on Monday found Poulsen's offerings tougher and tougher to handle as a 12-0 Cyprus blowout progressed into the late innings.

Poulsen set down 15 Colts batters in a row at one point, allowed only two hits, gave up one walk and cruised to a complete-game victory. The two hits were singles — one a bunt in the first inning and the second a grounder up the middle in the second.

After that, the silence from the Cottonwood batters was music to the ears of the visiting team.

"If the girls were in front of it, I would throw my change-up," Poulsen said. "It just depends on the player that's up at the plate."

"She's one of the top freshman pitchers in the state. She gets stronger as the game goes along," Pirates coach Greg Henson said. "She changes speed well and just gets stronger and stronger. We're lucky to have her. She comes to the park every day, holds out her left hand and says, 'Give me the ball.'"

Henson debated using Poulsen as Cyprus has two region games later in the week that are necessary for the Pirates to clinch a Class 4A playoff berth. While Clearfield and Woods Cross are sitting in the top two spots of Region 6, Cyprus can still take third by beating Judge Memorial and East.

Cyprus (14-10) got an early run when Poulsen singled home Hannah Henson, who led off the game with a hit. The Pirates added three runs, two on a single by Brittany Perry, in the second.

Four runs each in the sixth and seventh innings blew the game open for the visitors. Riley Newbold doubled in a pair of runs in the penultimate rally and then added a two-run single in the last frame.

For Cottonwood (11-11), which recently knocked Taylorsville out of a share for the top spot in Region 2 with a 7-6 victory, the loss was decidedly disappointing. Although the Colts are bound for the 5A playoffs as a third or fourth seed, coach Alissa Smith was hoping for some carry-over from its recent success.

"The conversation we just had with them was, 'Is that who we really are?'" Smith said. "With this program, we're trying to figure that out. When you're one of those programs that's just got run over [in the past], it creates this identity where you've got kids who aren't sure how to do it.

"One of the things we've been combating all year long is that you really do belong," she added. "I think we were a little off and I've never seen us just roll over like this. But, for me, there's no better timing in the world because I want them to learn how to be winners." —

Cyprus 12, Cottonwood 0

R Cyprus freshman pitcher Alexis Poulsen allows only two hits and one walk in the shutout.

• Poulsen sets down 15 straight Cottonwood batters from the second through sixth innings.

• Riley Newbold hits a two-run double for the Pirates in the sixth and follows that with a two-run single in the seventh.