Lady Broncos suffer first loss but rebound to win two games, remain atop Utah 2A standings

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School softball team has firmly established themselves as the team to beat in Utah 2A softball this season.
After easy wins over Grand County and Beaver on March 31 and April 3 the Lady Broncos were 15-0, ranked first in the initial 2A standings released by the Utah High School Activity Association.
The team racked up 16 hits in their 21-4 win over Grand and 12 more in their 14-2 win over #2 Beaver. They had a target on their backs when they traveled to Monroe to take on #3 South Sevier on Tuesday, April 7.
The Lady Rams were well-prepared for San Juan and for the first time this season the Lady Broncos had trouble getting hits against the excellent pitching of sophomore Navey Lindsay.
South Sevier held San Juan off the board, handing them their first loss of the season 7-0. Following their road trip back home to Blanding the girls took a couple days to get ready for a rematch with the Lady Rams.
On Thursday, April 9 the Lady Broncos welcomed South Sevier to Blanding, and this time it was one of the best games of the season – an exciting showdown between two of the top teams in Utah 2A softball.
The visitors opened the scoring with a two-run top of the first inning, but San Juan answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first. They increased their lead to 5-2 with another run in the third.
The Lady Rams’ offense heated up again as they scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and sixth, and one more in the top of the seventh inning.
The Lady Broncos mustered one run each in the fifth and sixth innings and found themselves down 8-7 heading into their final at-bat of the game.
San Juan pulled off an impressive seventh-inning rally, scoring three runs on a Colee Crofts walk-off, in-the-park home run to take an exciting 10-8 win.
Kheirra Keith hit a three-run homer in the win, and Averie Gilson also hit an in-the-park home run. Gilson was 3-for-4 on the day with two runs batted in.
Kheirra Keith and Khatira Keith were both 2-for-4. Kheirra drove in three San Juan runs and Khatira drove in one. Morgann McPherson and Miracle Harrison also had hits in the win.
Ella Stearns collected her sixth win of the season on the mound with a complete, seven-inning outing. She allowed eight runs on eight hits while striking out 11 of the 36 South Sevier batters she faced.
On Saturday, April 11 the girls closed out a busy week with a home game against Grand County. San Juan honored their seniors on Senior Day at the ball park with a very timely 9-5 win over their longtime rivals.
The Lady Broncos were a bit slow out of the gate, but took control of the game with a six-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Ella Stearns was 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Khatira Keith hit her fourth home run of the season and drove in three San Juan runs.
Lizzie Palmer got one hit and two RBIs in the win. Keegan Palmer and Miley Harrison both had one hit and one RBI apiece. Madden Perkins, Morgann McPherson, and Averie Gilson also had one hit each.
Following the first month of the season the Lady Broncos are 17-1 overall and 9-1 in Region 18 play. They’re ranked first in the Utah 2A standings. The girls are next in action with a road doubleheader against Kanab on April 21.
Reflecting on the team’s opening month, tenth-year Head Coach Mike Bowers expressed his thoughts on the team and talked about the long-term approach of the San Juan softball program.
“San Juan softball is working to become the San Juan of old as it was in the Craig Swenson era,” stated Bowers. “It feels like the year of the bamboo tree.
“I shared this story with our girls recently because they remind me of the bamboo tree process. They are the farmer whose hard work, dedication, perseverance, and belief in one’s self creates a rapidly growing outcome.
“In the story a farmer plants the bamboo seed and faithfully waters it day after day, year after year without seeing any results. The farmer must have faith and perseverance in the process.
“But in the fifth year the bamboo sprouts and grows up to 90 feet in six weeks. Like the bamboo tree, we have spent the last four years growing a strong foundation. Now we are enjoying the results of this process.
“Additionally, we have worked to train our girls how to deal with adversity. No matter how good you are in this game you will fail. It’s guaranteed.
“Our girls are striving to learn a reset, or recovery process, so when things go wrong they don’t spiral out of control with fear and self doubt.
“My goal is to teach the game but also life’s lessons. If they learn a reset/recovery process life will be better for them in the future.
“Our girls are a dedicated, selfless, process-oriented group that is a joy to watch. We still have much work to do, but they grow more each day. I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and work they are putting into this program.
“My coaching staff is critically important to this process: Laura Stearns, Nataiah Giddings, Journi Lee, Remington Laws, Brian Gilson, and Charlie Taylor. These coaches have dedicated so much to the girls and this program and deserve the credit.
“Where we are is by design. It’s not one-and-done; we plan to be a force well into the future. Every game someone new steps up.
“Yes, we’ve had consistent players, but we have up to 13 hitters who have contributed this year. Our pitching has been stellar and our defense strong.
“We are enjoying our success this year and hope to continue improving our process. I believe if we continue in this way our outcomes will be epic.”