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Taylorsville • When the West softball team exited the field after a convincing 14-6 victory Wednesday, the Panthers team finally got what they desired last May.

It was in the 2016 Class 5A playoffs that underdog West narrowly lost a battle of unbeatens to Riverton, then had to play its way back into the championship game the next day — when the Panthers narrowly lost to the Silverwolves.

It's all different this time. That's because West is in the catbird seat after beating Copper Hills on Wednesday.

Now the Panthers need only to win the championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday. Whoever faces West in that game, the winner of a noon contest between Copper Hills and Bingham, will have to beat the Panthers twice.

And right now that's not a favorable spot for anyone.

"It's always good to go into the championship game where, whoever we face, has to beat us twice," Panthers coach Keith Lopati said. "That's going to be tough to do no matter who it is. And the way our girls are playing, it's going to be tough to do that."

Copper Hills (19-12) actually jumped on West (23-7) early when Kaci Bobo slugged a two-run homer three batters into the game.

The Panthers responded immediately in the bottom of the first. Jazmyn Rollin doubled and came in on a Daisy Taloa single. Then sophomore Huntyr Ava went to right with a fence-clearing shot for a 3-2 lead.

The Grizzlies, behind 4-2, rallied in the third when an Alaina Montanez single combined with some West misadventures — a runner advancing to first on a strikeout, a diving catch by Taloa at second that turned into a sacrifice fly and a fielding error — turned into two runs and another deadlock.

But the wheels came off for the Grizzlies in the bottom of the third.

Two West runs scored with no one out when Copper Hills had a Panthers runner hung up between second and third and made an errant throw that went into right.

That was the beginning of what would be a six-hit, eight-run inning for West, whose biggest hit in the rally was a double by Brianna White.

"We were hitting home run for home run with them. West just has a very powerful hitting squad," Grizzlies coach Jentry Johnson said. "They're very hard to pitch to.

"All we need to do is be consistent."

Johnson's crew next will face Bingham in an elimination game. The Miners beat the Grizzlies twice in the regular season, both by two runs.

"Who in the world expected Copper Hills to be in the undefeated game anyway?" Johnson said. "When you're here, you've just got to play off of emotions and the love and trust of your teammates."

West, on the other hand, is glad not to be in that position for a second straight year.

"It's such a relief," said Ava, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs.

"It's an easier process," she said. "You don't have to worry about things. It's just not as stressful as it was last year." —

West 14, Copper Hills 6

R West blows open a tie game by scoring eight runs in the third inning.

• The Panthers get home runs from Huntyr Ava and Jazmyn Rollin, who both slugged two-run dingers.

• Copper Hills gets homers from Kaci Bobo in the first and Nelly Villalobos in the sixth.