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Taylorsville • Hidden in the recesses of West's prolific offense, sometimes lost among the power blows, is a little Panthers secret.

Speed on the basepaths often sets up the deep drives over the fence.

That was the case when West smashed Syracuse 12-0 in a Class 5A state softball quarterfinal Tuesday.

West advances to face Copper Hills on Wednesday with a spot in the championship game on the line.

West (22-7) started the first inning with a walk by Jazmyn Rollin. The University of Missouri recruit promptly raced to second with a stolen base.

The next batter? More speed in Daisy Taloa, who hit a grounder to the right side of the infield but beat the short throw to first. Both runners scored for a 2-0 lead.

Then came the power.

Keisha White popped a homer in the first, while Rollin hit a two-run round-tripper followed by a solo shot by sophomore Huntyr Ava in the second.

Ava, who plans on playing at BYU, hit a low drive to center that appeared to never exceed 10 feet off the ground.

"That was a scorcher right there," West coach Keith Lopati said. "I thought she [Syracuse center fielder Elissa Robinson] was going to put her mitt up and catch it. It was so low, but we'll take it."

By the time the home run deluge was over, the Panthers were up 6-0 after only two innings.

"I think that's what separates us," Lopati said. "When things are going good, we have a great combination of speed-power, speed-power, and it works out real well for us."

Rollin said: "When we're in the zone, nobody can stop us."

Rollin and the other Panthers had the most recent meeting between the region rivals on their collective conscience. Syracuse trailed 9-3 before storming back and winning 11-10 in eight innings May 9

"I knew that we just had to come fight hard in every inning," Rollin said. "They're not a team that will give up — and neither are we. We had to come guns blazing."

Aside from a three-hit outburst in the second, which didn't result in a run, Syracuse (18-7-1) had a tough time against West pitcher Mikala Ulibarri.

The Panthers' hurler didn't allow a hit in her other four innings of work. The game ended with the 10-run rule after the Titans went down in order in the fifth.

Ulibarri had seven strikeouts in the shortened appearance.

"Her confidence has been growing every week, every game," Lopati said. "With us ending the season playing great teams, that helps us a great bit."

Syracuse will play Clearfield in an elimination game at noon Wednesday.

"We didn't get it done today," Titans coach Kelly Anderson said. "We didn't think we were going to be boat-raced though." —

West 12, Syracuse 0

R West's Mikala Ulibarri pitches five innings of shutout ball, striking out seven Syracuse batters.

• The Panthers go deep three times — Keisha White in the first, Jazmyn Rollin in the second and Huntyr Ava in the second.

• Every hitter in the West lineup records a hit in a game that ends with the 10-run rule.

Class 5A state tournament

P at Valley Softball Complex

Wednesday's semifinal

3 p.m. • Copper Hills vs. West