PROVO — Audree Stokes had a home run in her first at-bat, and Salem Hills relied on the pitching of Jo Norman and its defense to clinch its first state championship in 12 years with a 3-1 win over Box Elder in the third game of the 6A softball championship series Saturday at BYU's Gail Miller Field.
Stokes smacked a homer in her first at-bat of the winner-take-all third game for the Skyhawks (30-2), and added a run on a walk via Samaya Haveron's hit in the fifth. Shay Loveridge added an RBI double, and the defense never let up in Salem Hills' first state championship since winning consecutive titles in 2013 and 2014.
Kennadie Blackmer pulled one back with a home run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Bees (29-5) could get no closer.
Game 2: Box Elder forces Game 3 with defensive win
Kennadie Blackmer spun a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts, and the Bees allowed just one run to force a winner-take-all Game 3 with a 2-1 victory in Saturday's second game of the 5A championship series.
Box Elder did all its scoring on Lucy Griffin's RBI double in the first inning and Kailee Hall's solo shot in the third while pounding out eight hits a day after falling into an 0-1 hole with a 9-2 loss in Provo.
Emmery Wilson had an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning to account for Salem Hills' lone run.
