Story by Steven Law
Special to the Chronicle

The Page High School varsity softball team needed just four and a half innings to put away the Monument Valley Mustangs last Wednesday.  

The reason for the shortened game came courtesy of the mercy rule, which occurs when a team leads by 10 or more runs after the fifth inning, at which point the game is declared over.

It was a cold day on the diamond, with the wind blowing like Everest basecamp. In other words,  typical spring baseball/softball weather in Page.

The Sand Devils offense got off to a good start, driving in two runs in the first inning, and added seven points to the score. The Sand Devils’ big second inning began with the Sand Devils lead-off hitter, Mikenna Penrod hitting a single. Penrod has a unique batting style. She employs a technique, known as a slap bunt, to great effect.

When executing a slap bunt, the hitter starts running toward first base as the pitch is coming to her, and lightly slaps the pitch to the ground. The hitter already has her momentum started when she hits the ball and can very often reach first base before the fielder is able to corral the ball and make the throw.

Penrod was followed by Robyn Nelson who also hit a single. Shelby Blake came to the plate next and hit a double to center field, which scored Penrod and Nelson. This was followed by Cora Tsosie, who hit a double and Brianna Smallcanyon, who hit a double.

The Sand Devils added another point in the third inning, which again began with Penrod, the inning’s lead-off hitter, reaching first base, this time off a walk. She was advanced to second and third base by sacrifice flies by Nelson and Christina Lucero. Penrod stole home for the inning’s only run after a bad pitch sailed past the Mustangs’ catcher.

The Mustangs had a hitting rally in the top of the fourth inning. Their lead-off hitter hit a double, which was followed by a single by their second batter. The Mustangs’ third hitter knocked a deep one to right field for a three-run, inside-the-park home run. Page pitcher Shelby Blake struck out the remaining hitters.

The Sand Devils had another big at-bat in the fourth inning adding six more runs, which put them over the 10-run lead and activated the mercy rule. The Mustangs were given one more turn at bat to reduce the scoring deficit to less than 10, but the Sand Devils put them away — three up, three down.

Junior Shelby Blake pitched all five innings Wednesday.

Sand Devils softball head coach, Sunni Crank, was happy with her team’s performance Wednesday.
“We’re finally playing as a team, as one,” said Crank. “They played with a lot of heart and a lot of intensity today.”