ST. GEORGE — The softball team at Desert Hills High School is alone at the top of the Region 9 standings.

The Thunder’s triumph over Cedar Tuesday night coupled with Crimson Cliffs’ upset win over Snow Canyon left Desert Hills as the lone unbeaten Region 9 squad.

According to Maxpreps, Desert Hills (14-2 overall, 6-0 Region 9) has allowed six total runs in its region contests this year — an average of one per game.

Cedar (12-5, 6-1) is right behind the Thunder in second place and hosts Desert Hills Friday at 3 p.m.

Snow Canyon (13-3, 4-1) will have a chance for payback at Crimson Cliffs (8-8, 2-5) Friday at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile Pine View (3-10, 1-4) picked up its first Region 9 win, beating Dixie on Tuesday. The Flyers slipped to 5-10, 0-4. The teams rematch at Dixie Friday at 7 p.m.

Hurricane (11-7, 1-5) had a bye.

Desert Hills 6, Cedar 0

Coming into the game, something had to give.

The Thunder were winners in 10 of their last 11 games. The Reds had reeled off consecutive victories in their last 10 contests.

The pitching matchup lived up to its billing and Desert Hills’ sophomore Lulu West and Cedar’s junior Sadie Parson put on a show.

In the end West had the better day on the bump, yielding only four hits and surrendering no runs. She walked none and struck out nine Reds.

West evaded damage twice, working out of a two-on, no-out jam and then slipping out of a two-on, one-out situation two innings later.

“Props to Lulu. She kept them shut down,” Desert Hills shortstop Riley Greene told St. George News. “She did really well. I always love playing behind her on the mound.”

The sophomore did her best to provide run support for her pitcher. Greene’s solo home run in the bottom of the first cleared the right-center fence by a good 10 feet. 

She finished 3-for-4 at the plate, including the homer and a triple. She scored three times and drove in two RBIs.

“My approach is always see ball, hit ball,” Greene said. “I like to keep it simple at the plate. If I see something in the zone, I attack.”

Hallee Heath also went yard for the Thunder, who generated 10 hits in the win.

Parson had an effective outing for Cedar, holding Desert Hills to single tallies in the first, fourth and fifth innings.

Desert Hills put the game away with three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth frame. Two of the runs Parson surrendered were unearned. She walked three batters and struck out seven in the tough defeat.

“They’re a good team. We both came out hot,” Greene said. “I think the key was just to give our all and our best out there, and play as a team and work hard.” 

Knocking in solo RBIs for Desert Hills were Heath (who homered), Bailey Lee, West and Payten Benson.

Hayley Ennis had two of Cedar’s four hits in the setback while Marley Geddes and Sloane Fielding accounted for the Reds other two hits. 

All four hits West surrendered were singles.

Crimson Cliffs 4, Snow Canyon 0

On the road, Crimson Cliffs tallied once in the top of the second and third innings, then sealed the shutout with two more runs in the sixth in a contest that featured a total of four hits.

Another Region 9 pitcher’s duel evolved between Mustangs pitcher Gracee Stucki and Warriors hurler Avery Thorkelson.

Stucki yielded one hit and struck out six for the win.

Thorkelson surrendered three knocks, walked four batters and struck out 14. One of the runs scored against her was unearned.

Both teams made two errors in the game.

Tyeci Fuller recorded Snow Canyon’s only hit in the contest.

For the Mustangs, Addilyn Brinkerhoff hit a solo home run and Abbey Morris collected two RBIs in the win.

Pine View 4, Dixie 2 

The Panthers got on the winning track in Region 9 in a well-pitched game that featured a total of eight hits.

Pine View scored once in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings to ground the Flyers, who scored a two-spot in the first inning before getting shut down the rest of the way.

Eliza Kesterson and Morgan Staheli both had hits in Dixie’s top half of the first. Kesterson and Mayci Bradshaw had the RBIs for the Flyers.

After that Pine View pitcher Jaycee Day settled down. The senior went seven innings, giving up two runs off of the two Dixie hits. She walked seven and struck out eight Flyers in the win.

Six different Panthers recorded a hit in the win–Brinlee Wilstead, Reese Gustin, Kylie Carpenter, Abby Rosenberg, Genevieve Evans and Brenika Frandsen.

Gustin and Rosenberg each accounted for an RBI as Pine View took advantage of three Dixie errors to score its other runs.

Dixie pitcher Staheli went six innings for the Flyers and gave up five hits. She walked three Panthers and struck out six.

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