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Show orts Covering what matters most A14 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2009 Samantha Beck / Spanish Fork News Samantha Beck / Spanish Fork News IT'S A HIT: Hadley Thorpe makes contact in his turn at the plate. Dons sweep Lehi, clinch region John Jackson STAFF WRITER It's official — the Dons will enter the state tournament as the top seed from Region 4. This past week the Dons swept past Lehi. Combine that with a Timpanogos loss, and nobody will be able to catch the Dons now. The Dons have a final two-game series left with Timpanogos, and even though they have clinched the region title, they are only two wins away from running the region table. The Dons have earned the right to play the opening round of the state tournament on their home field, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12 at 4 p.m. Spanish Fork 7 Lehi 1 (at SF) Lehi brought their ace pitcher into Don's field in hopes of sneaking out with an upset. The Lehi ace looked good, but in the end the Dons had too much firepower at the plate. The Dons scored the first run of the game in the third inning when Trevor Randolph was hit by a pitch. The speedy Randolph quickly stole second and scored on an RBI single from the consistent-hitting Greg Money. The Dons added two more in the fourth when Dallas Smith and Nate Binks led the inning off with consecutive walks. A single by Hadley Thorpe scored Smith, and an infield error allowed Binks to score. Another nan in the sixth was scored when Brock Duke hit a single and scored on an RBIdouble from Braden Warren. Thorpe led the sixth inning off with a single and advanced when Trevor Randolph walked. Both were able to score when Taggart "Pinky" Lunceford continued his hot hitting with a linedshot double. Lunceford moved around and scored on a passed ball. Junior Adam Duke got the win for the Dons. Duke pitched six strong innings, giving up six hits and striking out six Pioneers. The lone Lehi run was scored in the sixth when they were able to piece together a double and two singles. Chase Castleberry came in to pitch the final inning. When Castleberry has been given the chance this year, he has been lights out. Castleberry threw a flawless final inning with two fly outs and a strike out. Spanish Fork 12 Lehi 1 (at Lehi) This game was called due to the mercy rule after the fifth inning. Brock Duke pitched the game for the Dons and allowed only one un-earned run. Duke gave up only three hits and struck out six. After the one Lehi run was scored in the first inning, no Lehi base runner advanced past first base. The Dons hitters gave Duke more than enough run support, scoring enough to use the mercy rule. The Dons plated two runs in the second when Brock Duke reached on an error. Two batters later, Nate Binks connected with a pitch that landed out See DONS • A13 ALA Softball HOLD IT: Katelyn Elliott dives to stop the ball and stop the runners. Lady Dons send message to PG Brent Thurgood STAFF WRITER A Region 4 title was just two wins away as the Lady Dons softball team began a busy week of competition. Spanish Fork remained undefeated in region, while the Lehi Pioneers and the Pleasant Grove Vikings shared second place with two losses each. Due to rain-outs early in the season, the Dons found themselves playing four games in four days, three of which were region matchups. On Tuesday the Dons welcomed American Fork to the sports complex. The Dons made quick work of the Cavemen, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning and eight runs in the second. Senior Kylee Brinkerhoff led the team in hits and RBIs as she went 3-3 and drove in four. Senior Kylee Bufton also had a good day at the plate, going 2-2, including a home run. Defensively, the Dons and starting pitcher Cami Robinson held American Fork to just two hits in the mercy-rule shorted threeinning game as the Dons cruised to a 15-0 victory. On Wednesday the Dons traveled to Lone Peak High School for a make-up game with the Knights. Again Spanish Fork wasted no time jumping on their opponent as they scored five runs in the first and six in the second to grab an 11-2 lead. The Dons were led offensively by the first four seniors in the line-up. Tina Ferguson, Kylee Brinkerhoff, Katelyn Elliott and Leah Adamson went a combined 10-15, driving in eight runs, including three consecutive doubles by Ferguson, Brinkerhoff and Elliott in the top of the first. Spanish Fork's bats went quiet in the third and fourth as the Knights retired them in order, however the Dons scored four more runs in the fifth on a double by Brinkerhoff and consecutive singles by Adamson, Kylee Bufton and Lindsey Healey. Cami Robinson picked up her second win in as many days, going all five innings, striking out six and walking three, while giving up just two runs. The 15-2 victory assured the Dons of at least a share of the region title heading into a match up with Pleasant Grove on Thursday. Every region game is important, however it seemed the game against the Vikings meant just a little more to the Dons. It was the Vikings a year ago that handed the Dons their first loss of the season and their only loss in region play. On Thursday the Dons seemed determined to show Pleasant Grove who was still in charge of Region 4. Tina Ferguson was hit by a pitch to lead off and Kylee Brinkerhoff reached on an infield single. Senior Katelyn Elliott then doubled down the left-field line to drive in two runs. That was simply the beginning. The Dons sent 14 players to bat in the top of the first, scoring 10 runs on eight hits. Pleasant Grove didn't help themselves either as they walked two and committed one error. However, the most costly mistake came when senior Kylee Bufton came to the plate. The Dons already led 3-0 and with Leah Adamson See SOFTBALL • A13 SH Softball NO-HITTER: ALA's Sarah Madson notched a nohitter against Duchesne Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The Lady Eagles won the game 1 2 - 0 in five innings. They got off to a quick start in the first, scoring eight, and added four more in the third to finish things off. The Eagles recorded 12 hits, including a home run by Amanda Turtle. HOW UPSETTING: North Sanpete brought their perfect Region 8 record to Salem Hills for a softball game Thursday, April 30. The Hawks were also ranked second in the state in 3A, but the Skyhawks proved they were up to the challenge and pulled out the 5-4 upset over North Sanpete in seven innings. Above, Bray Morisity makes a throw from the outfield. Allison Phillips / Spanish Fork News (I Samantha Beck / Spanish Fork News |