San Juan softball team dominates on the road, suffers losses at home

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School softball team split games over the past couple weeks with a doubleheader sweep of Piute on March 22 and doubleheader losses to Duchesne on March 29.
Through the first three weeks of the season the Lady Broncos are an even 3-3 overall. Their 1-2 2A Central Region record is currently good enough for a third-place tie with Piute. The initial 2A RPI standings are set to be revealed on Wednesday, April 3.
It was a lengthy but successful trip west for the team on Friday, March 22 when they traveled to Junction to take on the Piute Lady Thunderbirds.
San Juan dominated in both contests, scoring eight runs in the third inning of game one and nine in the fourth to mercy-rule Piute 17-2. They scored an astounding 21 runs in the first inning of game two, ending that one in a hurry 21-2 in just three innings.
Averie Gilson led the way in the two wins with four runs batted in. She hit a home run and scored five herself. Miley Harrison and Elise Dalley drove in three runs apiece. Harrison had two hits in the second game – a home run and a double – and she scored three runs.
Khatira Keith hit a triple, a double, and a single on the weekend, driving in two San Juan runs in the process. Madden Perkins collected a couple hits including a double, had an RBI, and scored five runs.
Trinity Whatcott had two hits, two RBIs, and scored a run in the two wins. Morgann McPherson drove in two runs, scored three, and had one hit. Sadie Cosby was also a member of the two-RBI club. She had one hit and scored a run as well.
Khimya Fullwood, Lizzie Palmer, and Danika Meyers all drove in one run apiece in the two wins. Fullwood had a hit and Palmer scored four runs.
Lady Bronco pitching was outstanding on the trip to Junction. Trinity Whatcott registered her first no-hitter of the season in game one, striking out eleven of 14 Piute batters. She threw 41 strikes in 60 pitches and allowed no earned runs in four innings.
Khatira Keith got the win in game two, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out three batters in three innings of work. She threw 28 strikes in 38 pitches and faced 13 batters.
Back home in Blanding this past Friday, March 29 it was a bit of a different tale against the tough Duchesne Lady Eagles.
Duchesne produced a steady stream of runs in game one to down San Juan 12-0 in six innings. The visitors wasted no time in game two, mercy-ruling the Lady Broncos 19-4 in just three innings.
San Juan mustered just three hits in the game-one loss, one each from Madden Perkins, Lizzie Palmer, and Synessa Atcitty.
It was a tough outing on the mound for Trinity Whatcott. She threw 5.1 innings, allowed 11 earned runs on 14 hits, struck out nine, and walked three.
San Juan got a little more offense in game two. Whatcott hit a double, drove in two runs, and scored one. Averie Gilson got a double, one RBI, and a run. And Madden Perkins also hit a double and scored a run.
Morgann McPherson and Khatira Keith both got one single apiece in the loss. Keith took the loss on the mound, allowing 14 runs, 11 hits, and striking out one in two innings of work. Gilson allowed five runs in one inning of relief.
The Lady Broncos will try to get back in the win column with a relatively full slate of games over the course of the next week.
They hosted the local rival Monticello Lady Buckaroos on Tuesday, April 2 in a game that was played after the San Juan Record print deadline.
They’ll host North Sevier in a 2A Central doubleheader on Friday, April 5. And on Tuesday, April 9 the rival Grand County Lady Red Devils will pay a visit to Blanding for a region showdown.