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Taylorsville • Springville rode a couple of heads-up offensive plays in the bottom of the seventh inning to a 5-4 victory over Uintah in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A softball state tournament Tuesday.

Utes senior pitcher Summer Stensgard retired the first two batters in the seventh and needed just one more out to force extra innings in the tied contest.

Sadie Clark grounded a ball toward the shortstop, who lost it in the sun, allowing Clark to reach safely. She was replaced by courtesy runner Linsey Robinson.

That brought catcher Natalie Sumsion to the plate, who said she felt the ball nick her elbow, so she trotted down to first base as her teammate raced to second.

The umpire called Sumsion back to the plate, but Robinson remained at second because she reached the bag before she was tagged.

Sumsion later beat the throw to first on a ground ball, while Robinson came tearing around third and made it home before Uintah could react to end the contest.

"I have no words," Springville coach Jill Thackeray said. "We talk all year long about how this is a game of inches, but we certainly caught a break there. Getting that steal at second was obviously huge."

Sumsion said the unusual ending sequence proved a common refrain from her coaches.

"It shows it's not over until it's over," she said. "You don't give up. You just keep going.

"Softball is a game of emotions. There are lows and highs. We lost to Uintah both times in Region 8 play. They are phenomenal hitters and fantastic players, but we've been the comeback kids all year."

The Utes got a run in the first inning and another in the third, which is when the Red Devils seized the advantage with four runs.

However, Utes senior catcher Whitnee Alexander homered over the left-field fence in the top of the fifth inning to help her team draw within one run, and Uintah evened the game with the help of an error in the top of the sixth to set up the dramatic ending. —

Springville 5, Uintah 4

R Springville beats a throw to first to score the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

• The Red Devils advance to meet Spanish Fork (28-2) in the state semifinals.

• Springville lost both regular-season games to Spanish Fork by a combined score of 17-1.