This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Spanish Fork • Home run distance, naturally, is thought of in big terms.

But leave it to someone like San Juan senior Tatiana Su'e Su'e to make the distance from home plate to the outfield fence look awfully small.

That's what she did on Friday afternoon as her Broncos put themselves in a terrific position to win a second state title in the career of Su'e Su'e at the Blanding school.

San Juan (19-8), behind two home run shots and the pitching of Su'e Su'e, took a 5-3 victory over top-ranked South Summit at the Class 2A state tournament. The meeting was between the only two unbeaten teams at the tourney and advanced the Broncos into Saturday's championship game.

South Summit (24-6), meanwhile, will have to battle its way back in the double-elimination tournament for another shot at San Juan.

"I've been doing all right," said Weber State-bound Su'e Su'e of her game. "We've pushed ourselves in practice more than I think we ever have. It doesn't matter who we play, so I think we've prepared ourselves for this moment."

Su'e Su'e slammed an opposite-field blast to right center in the first. She added another solo shot in the fifth.

The biggest drive of the game belonged to San Juan teammate Mary Royer in the fourth inning.

Trailing 3-1, the Broncos' Jessica Swenson and Leilani Begaye hit consecutive singles. Royer then clobbered a ball for a three-run homer and a one-run lead.

"It feels pretty good. We've made it to the championship my whole high school career," said Su'e Su'e, whose team finished second in 2012 and 2014 but captured the 2A crown her sophomore year. "I'm super excited, and I wouldn't choose any other team to be in this position with."

The Broncos edged defending champ Manti, 4-3, earlier in the day, but got off on the wrong foot against South Summit — a team that had beaten San Juan, 7-1, in the regular season.

In the first inning, after a single from McKay Woolstenhulme, Wildcats cleanup hitter Elise Bush singled up the middle and went straight through the legs of San Juan centerfielder Sharla Yanito. The two-base error, after the ball rolled to the fence, led to Woolstenhulme crossing home for the first run.

"When they're on the bases, they're one of the toughest teams out there," San Juan coach Craig Swenson of the prior loss to South Summit. "You've got to make plays. "When she [Yanito] came in, I said that there was a lot of softball to be played and we just moved on."

Su'e Su'e allowed single runs in the third and fourth innings as well. South Summit speedster Natalie Nichols turned a lead-off triple in the third into a run on a Woolstenhulme RBI single, and another error helped Dez Woolstenhulme score in the fourth.

But the 'Cats were held scoreless by Su'e Su'e in the last three innings and the result snapped a dozen-game winning streak by South Summit.

"Give them credit: They had three nice hits, home runs, that was the difference, obviously," Wildcats coach Cody Bowen said. "We've got to be more strategic on how we pitch to their big hitters and we'll have to crawl back from the loser side [of the bracket] now."

South Summit will play Enterprise at 10 a.m. Saturday in Spanish Fork. The winner plays San Juan for the championship at 12:15 p.m. —

San Juan 5, South Summit 3

R A three-run homer from San Juan's Mary Royer gives the Broncos a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning.

• San Juan pitcher Tatiana Su'e Su'e clubs two solo homers — one in the first, the other in the fifth.

• The battle is between the only two undefeated teams left in the 2A state tournament, with San Juan earning a trip to Saturday's championship at 12:15 p.m.