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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
The 5A championship series was not a high-flying one with lots of runs. Instead, it was a battle of inches.
That’s thanks to the two pitchers, Box Elder’s Kennadie Blackmer and Salem Hills’ Jo Norman.
Game 1 Thursday revolved around the SkyHawks adapting to Blackmer’s riseball to get the win, but she adjusted in Game 2 early Friday, striking out 10 as the Bees won 2-1 to tie the series.
Game 3 Friday evening was much of the same story as Blackmer finished with eight strikeouts and allowed only three runs, but the SkyHawks’ defense was just a hair better, and they squeezed out a 3-1 Game 3 victory to win to win their first state championship since 2014.
Salem Hills’ head coach, Kalab Stokes, was hired in 2015, now has a title of his own after 11 seasons with the program.
“This has been something that we’ve been working on for 12 years, since I’ve been at Salem,” Stokes said. “Every year we’ve won more and more games, and that puts 32 in the win column for us this year, the most in one single season at our high school.
“Couldn’t be prouder of our community for showing up today and these girls for believing in what we’re doing as coaches and putting in the work every day.”
Despite Blackmer’s strong performance, Salem Hills got its offense going early.
Coach Stokes’ daughter, Audree Stokes, opened the contest with a home run in the very first at-bat of the game. In her excitement while running the bases, she pulled her hamstring.
She refused to exit the game and went to the athletic trainer to get wrapped between every inning.
“I was coming around the bases, and I just felt a pop in my hamstring,” Audree Stokes said. “I just immediately went to my athletic trainer and said, ‘I need you to wrap me right now. I have to play this game.’
“In between every inning, I was on my stomach getting re-wrapped and figuring out how to make the pain less so I can grit it out and finish the game.”
She got on base one last time in the fifth inning on a walk, and Samaya Haveron hit her home. That, plus an RBI double from Shay Loveridge, gave the SkyHawks the 3-1 lead.
“I love this team so much,” Audree Stokes said. “Team has my back. I have their back. We would not be anywhere without every single one of the players in the dugout, whether they’re on the field or not. They’re all part of this team.”
The sole run of the game for Box Elder came on a home run in the fourth inning from Blackmer.
Norman got the win in the circle, and while her defense backed her up all game, she had to pull through in a sticky situation in the sixth inning.
Box Elder hit three singles and had only one out. With the bases loaded and just the two-run lead, Salem Hills desperately needed to get out of the inning.
With the pressure of the championship on her shoulders, Norman delivered back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning without giving up a run.
“It’s really stressful thinking about the bases loaded,” Norman said. “They could score, and then they could win the game, but I trust my team with anything.
“I’d do anything for them, so I know that if (the Bees) scored more, then they’d have my back.”
All series long, Blackmer’s pitching lowered Salem Hills’ margin for error, but the SkyHawks matched the task for their first championship in 12 years.