SPANISH FORK - By Cari Doutre - May 21, 2021
And just like that, the Lady Bears are in the championship!
It was an epic comeback for the Bear River High School softball team when they defeated Snow Canyon High School, 12-7, in the 4A state semifinals May 20, 2021 in Spanish Fork.
The win puts Bear River in the championship in a best of three series against the number one seeded team in 4A, Tooele High School, on Friday, May 21, at 12 p.m. and Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at the Spanish Fork Sports Complex.
Free live streaming coverage of both games will be available courtesy of Bear River Live at LIVE | brlive (brlivestream.com)
Going back to the semifinals, it was a rough start for the Lady Bears as they were trailing 7-1 by the fifth inning. Bear River regained their composure and starting fighting back putting three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Then they Lady Bears started an even bigger rally.
Eight runs were scored in the bottom of the sixth inning for Bear River starting with a series of line drive singles by Cami Gibbs, Haylee Farnsworth and Kynlei Nelson. Then it was senior Olivia Taylor's turn as she doubled on a line drive deep to center field bringing in two more runs for the Bears.
They weren't done.
McCall Maxfield singled on a fly ball to right field followed by Carlee Miller's single to center field before sophomore Kate Dahle doubled and Gibbs had one more single, this time with two RBIs to finish off the inning.
Maxfield finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a homerun in the first inning.
By then the damage had been done and Snow Canyon was unable to recover from damage the Lady Bears inflicted in the sixth inning and were eliminated from the state tournament.
It wasn't just Bear River's hitting display in the sixth inning that clinched the win for them.
It's often said that defensive wins the game. That became apparent when junior Jordyn Warren took over the pitchers mound in the fourth inning. Warren was able to throw off the Cougar's timing at the plate with a slower pitching speed that shut Snow Canyon down for good.
Re-watch the game courtesy of Bear River Live HERE
There's a lot at stake for both teams heading into the 2021 4A state finals. If Bear River wins the state championship it will become the school's 10th state softball title. Bear River's previous nine state titles in 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2018.
However, If Tooele wins the championship, it will be the school's 11th state title - enough to put the Buffaloes in the Utah High School Activities Association's record book for the most state softball titles held by one school.
Photos courtesy of Micah Capener
