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Brigham City • Most pitchers prefer tranquility. The position is predicated on the ability to forge ahead, forgetting the history of each pitch.
But when Box Elder's Bayleigh Merrill stepped inside the circle for the biggest game of the season, with her second-ranked Bees hosting undefeated and third-ranked Bountiful in a critical league showdown on Tuesday, she was admittedly nervous.
The jitters would derail most pitchers, but for Merrill, it made her focus more intently. She was cognizant of the stakes and embraced them, throwing a complete-game shutout to help Box Elder take command of Region 5 with a 2-0 victory.
"I think I play better when I get nervous," Merrill said. "I don't why. I pitch better when I get mad; I pitch better when I get nervous. It's weird."
Merrill was locked in a pitcher's battle with Bountiful's McKenna Alley, who was perfect through five until an error furnished the Bees' first base runner.
Then, with two outs, Jazzy Wirick ripped an RBI single before Kylie Jeffs provided a 2-0 cushion with a triple.
"It was a little inside," Wirick said of the pitch. "I'm glad because I've been struggling inside."
Merrill escaped two jams en route to the shutout. Bountiful threatened in the fourth inning, but Box Elder persevered the scoreless deadlock with a play at the plate and a strikeout.
"It was outstanding," Box Elder coach Taleas Marble said of the pitching. "Bayleigh has been tough on the mound, and she's been throwing really well. She did great."
In the sixth inning, with runners on second and third and one out, Merrill fanned one batter and forced the next into a groundout at first.
"I trust my team behind my back. I knew I could get the pitches I needed to," Merrill said.
After losing the first game of the season against West, which is ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, the Bees (11-1) have reeled off 11 consecutive victories and are the only team unscathed in league play, with a 4-0 record against Region 5 opponents.
The loss snapped Bountiful's (8-1) eight-game winning streak to open the season.
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