WEST JORDAN - The Bingham softball team's game against Copper Hills on Tuesday did not have nearly the hype of the Miners matchup with Riverton last week. However, with a Region 3 title still up for grabs, the stakes were just as high.
    Still only one game up on Riverton with three games left in the regular season, the Miners couldn't afford a region loss.
    For the Grizzlies, the game was just as crucial as they scramble to snag the fourth and final playoff spot in the region.
    In the end, the Copper Hills couldn't keep up with Bingham's bats and fell 10-5.
    The first three innings proved to be a shortstop and pitching duel, as both teams fronted a ground-ball attack. By the top of the fifth, the Miners were driving some hits into center field.
    "It was nice to see our bats come alive," said Bingham coach Mikki Jackson . "Our ability to score consistently was the biggest factor."
    With Bingham starting pitcher Tori Almond on the bench, the Grizzlies staged a five-run offensive attack of their own in the fifth inning. Bingham's Almond came back in the sixth to earn three strikeouts while her team earned three more runs in the game, including an RBI double from Shaynie Phillips. The Grizzlies had one last chance in the seventh, but Phillips made a nice stop and double play in the sixth inning to end the threat.
    "It was
Advertisement

a composure moment for us," said Jackson. "We just kept the bats going and producing runs. Simple as that."
    Following the win, however, coach Jackson is not quite ready to look to the postseason. "We're anxious," said Jackson. "For now, we have to focus on our strong region. Anyone can win on any given day."
   
   
    Softball
   
   * An RBI double from Shaynie Phillips helps Bingham hold off the Grizzlies.