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Spanish Fork • The Spanish Fork softball team opened Region 8 play with a convincing 14-2 victory over rival Salem Hills in six innings Tuesday evening.

A walk-off grand slam by junior third baseman Mallory Barber pushed the margin past the mercy-rule threshold to end the contest early. Barber also had a single and a walk and scored three times.

Barber said she was sure the ball would clear the fence the moment it left her bat for the first grand slam of her career. She added that playing with a lineup of big hitters takes the pressure off everyone.

"You know your teammates have your back," she said. "If you're having a bad day, you know someone else is going to pick it up."

Another offensive contributor was sophomore catcher Brylee Rudd, who had a double and a single in the cleanup position.

Although she's been a catcher since she was eight years old, this is only Rudd's second year catching for ace Cambrie Hazel because of a two-year age difference.

Rudd said she's comfortable behind the plate with Hazel on the mound.

"It's easy to catch for her," she said. "Every pitch is so good. Her curveball goes right where it should."

The duo have developed enough connection through practice that Rudd said most of the time she can just anticipate where the ball is going to go.

Spanish Fork remains undefeated at 7-0 after winning four straight games over the weekend in the Sunroc Invitational. The Dons have only two seniors on the roster this year and Rudd said those games benefitted the team.

"It was a chance to get all of our younger girls some quality at-bats," she said. "Last year I was the only freshman who played up, so all of our sophomores are new to the varsity level."

Every Don in the lineup had at least one hit except sophomore second baseman Aislyn Sharp, but she still scored twice. Junior shortstop Gabby Beckstrom had three hits and six others had two each.

Solo homers by senior shortstop Aubree Barney in the fourth and senior catcher Shina Parrish in the sixth produced the only runs for the Skyhawks.