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To win an ultra-tough region like the one where many of Class 3A's softball elite reside, any early advantage is a big deal.
And Grantsville was eyeing a second straight win on the road in Region 11 Tuesday afternoon. But, at Stansbury, Kimbri Herring and the rest of the host Stallions had something to say about that.
After a 7-4 victory over Grantsville, Stansbury and the rest of the region are back to square one: Tough, unpredictable battles day-in and day-out — probably until the end of the regular season.
"This is the toughest region in the whole entire state," Stansbury coach Bridget Clinton said. "For any classification, by far. Every game is a tough game and it's good because it pushes all of the teams."
After top-ranked Juab, Region 11 members Tooele, Stansbury, Grantsville and Bear River currently occupy the next four slots in the Class 3A rankings.
Grantsville (11-3, 2-1) had already scored an impressive road victory by beating Bear River 6-5 last Friday. The Cowboys, after falling behind 2-0 to the Stallions, were poised to conquer another foe away from home when they led 3-2 at the end of four.
But Stansbury (12-2, 1-1) stuck back with five funs in the fifth. The rally started when lefty Lindsey Allie hit a single off Grantsville pitcher Bailey Critchlow down the first base line. Anjalee Batchelor then went the opposite way, also down the right field line, for another single. Cowboys' shortstop Sarah Sandberg temporarily halted the base-running action by snagging a touch pop-up in foul territory. But the next batter, Stansbury's Jade Callister, went the other way to right for another single and an RBI to tie the game at 3-3.
After Critchlow notched a strikeout, her opposite number delivered the biggest blow of the game.
Herring, who struck out eight batters as the Stallions' pitcher, slugged a triple to drive in two runs and she then scored on a single by Alyssa Warr to push the lead to three.
"She [Critchlow] threw a good pitch, but Kimbree made a great hit off that. She got a triple off a good pitch," Grantsville coach Heidi Taylor said.
"I just wanted to help out my teammates and I guess I did," said Herring, who was still fighting off the last stages of a bout of strep throat.
"I've had a rough week, but it's okay," she added.
Kilee Christiansen got Stansbury off to a good start by hitting a two-RBI single to left in the first.
Grantsville retaliated in the top of the third when Autumn Dzierzon, Mariah Sweat and Sandberg all drove in runs.
Stansbury's next contest is a trip to Bear River while Grantsville hosts Tooele on Friday in the next round of the Region 11 do-si-do.
"Our girls battled back. We could never get that one hit to fall," Clinton said. "We finally got some to fall and Kimbree came up really big there." —
Stansbury 7, Grantsville 4
R Third-ranked Stansbury scores four in the fifth inning to overtake fourth-ranked Grantsville in a Region 11 battle.
• Kimbri Herring scores the Stallions' big hit, a two-run triple to break a 3-all tie in the fifth.