Herriman stages furious sixth-inning comeback to advance to 6A state championship

TAYLORSVILLE — For the Herriman Mustangs, good things come to those who wait.

After rain caused a three-day break from the quarterfinals (May 25) to the semifinals (May 29), Herriman had to wait a little while longer to play its semifinal game against Copper Hills after the Layton-Bingham losers' bracket game went nine innings and more rain and lightning forced the game to start even later than usual.

"We play lots of games. We just make sure that we're having fun. We never get down," Herriman pitcher Libby Parkinson said of the team's morale during the rain delay. "It's a fun group of girls, so that's easy. They're always light, they're always fun. This whole tournament has been like that, for every team. You don't know when you're going to play, you don't know what the rain's going to do. It's been so chaotic, and nothing like the other state tournaments that I've seen and played in."

Once the game finally did start, it was one for the ages, as the Mustangs staged a furious sixth-inning rally to take down Copper Hills, 10-7, and advance to the 6A championship game.

“We were kind of not really cheering, we weren’t really in it, we were getting down on ourselves, so we decided that we were just going to play for ourselves and make sure that we worked together as a team, working hard together and cheering as loud as we possibly could.”

Herriman left fielder Alexis Smith

Down 7-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, things looked as bleak as the threatening gray skies above Norma Carr Softball Field on Wednesday, but Herriman rallied, scoring eight runs in the frame to pull off a miracle 10-7 come-from-behind victory.

"We were kind of not really cheering, we weren't really in it, we were getting down on ourselves, so we decided that we were just going to play for ourselves and make sure that we worked together as a team, working hard together and cheering as loud as we possibly could," left fielder Alexis Smith said.

The first runs of the fateful bottom of the sixth inning came across the plate via a two-run double from Abby Grundy to cut the deficit to three runs. Then, after Kaitlyn Slade reached first to put two Mustangs on the bases, Parkinson hit a three-run home run to right-center field to knot the game at seven runs apiece.

Steve Griffin, Deseret News

Action in the 6A semifinal softball game between Herriman and Copper Hills at the SLCC softball field in Taylorsville on Monday, May 27, 2019.

"I haven't hit one in a while. I was thinking, it was ironic, because I was thinking before the at-bat, 'You're going to end your senior year without hitting a home run in the state tournament? Really?'" Parkinson said. "Kaitlyn Slade was running (around) second and I saw her put her hands up and I was like, 'Oh, it's over!'"

After clearing the bases on the home run, Herriman loaded them back up again with right fielder Alexis Smith due up to the plate. Smith cranked a bases-clearing triple to give Herriman a three-run lead.

"I saw it outside, and that's my favorite pitch to hit, so I just took it for a ride and hoped something good happened," Smith said.

Parkinson would allow no runs in the top of the seventh inning, and the Mustangs were moving on to Thursday's championship games against Layton, who advanced out of the losers' bracket, beating Copper Hills 19-7. The first game will be held at Norma Carr Softball Field at Salt Lake Community College at 11 a.m.. The "if" game, if needed, will be played at 1:30 p.m.

from Deseret News http://bit.ly/2MiiCgf