San Juan is in the mix and one of the teams to beat in 2A softball at the midway point of season
by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
Heading into this week the San Juan High School softball team has 11 wins and just three losses. They are dominating their opponents so far, outscoring them 176-82 on the year, an average of 12.6 to 5.9 per game.
On March 17-18 the Lady Broncos traveled to St. George to compete in the March Warm Up Classic and they nearly swept it.
Other than a 12-6 loss to Bonneville (Idaho Falls, ID), nobody else could compete with San Juan as they handed out sizable losses to Cottonwood, Kanab, Altamont, and Brighton.
Following spring break the team visited North Sevier on March 31 where they split a region doubleheader, winning game one 10-4 but losing in the nightcap 14-12.
Due to some rescheduled games, this past week was very busy for the Lady Broncos. On Tuesday, April 4 they swept Piute at home 18-7 and 19-4 then beat Monticello 18-0 on Thursday, April 6.
On Friday, April 7 San Juan split another home region doubleheader with Gunnison Valley, winning 8-7 and losing 6-2. The team was ranked third in the 2A RPI standings entering this week.
The Lady Bronco offense is led by junior Trinity Whatcott, who is batting .467 on the year. She has 21 hits in 45 at bats with two doubles, a triple, a home run, 17 runs batted in, and 14 runs scored.
Senior Adriana Johnson is 15 for 33 on the season for a .455 average. She has three doubles, two triples, 16 RBI, and 14 runs scored.
Sophomore Elise Dalley is batting .435 with ten hits in 23 at bats, three doubles, and nine RBI. Fellow sophomore Sadie Cosby is .410 on the year with 16 hits, a double, a triple, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored.
Freshman Khatira Keith is next in line. In just 20 at bats she’s .400 with eight hits, four RBI, and six runs scored. Senior Avina Cordova leads the team in runs scored with 20. She’s batting .383 with 18 hits, five doubles, two triples, a home run, and 11 runs batted in.
Senior Hallie Palmer is 14 for 37, batting .378 with two doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, and 13 runs scored. Freshman Averie Gilson is having an impressive first year, hitting .364 with 12 hits, six of them doubles, 11 RBI, and 19 runs scored.
Senior Kaeah Howard is batting .333 on the season with 13 hits, five doubles, 18 RBI, and 15 runs scored. And junior Synessa Atcitty is 6 of 19 for a .316 average, eight RBI, and five runs scored.
Johnson leads in stolen bases with nine. Freshman Morgann McPherson is right behind with seven. Howard has snatched six, and Hallie Palmer and Averie Gilson have five apiece.
Though she’s appeared in only ten games so far, Synessa Atcitty is most impressive on defense with 23 putouts and six assists in 30 total chances. Sadie Cosby is defending at a .947 clip with 52 putouts and two assists in 57 tries.
Elise Dalley has touched the ball the most for San Juan with 72 total defensive chances. She has 66 putouts and two assists on the season.
On the mound Trinity Whatcott has an impressive 67 strikeouts in 43 innings of work. In that time she’s allowed 39 hits and 24 earned runs.
Khatira Keith is also having an excellent season pitching. In 18 innings she has struck out 25 batters while allowing 27 hits and 16 earned runs.
Averie Gilson is also getting some action on the mound with 12.2 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts, 18 hits, and just three earned runs.
This week will be exceptionally busy for the Lady Broncos. They host Monticello on April 11. On Friday and Saturday the girls hit the road to play six games in two days.
On Friday, April 14 they’ll visit the Duchesne Lady Eagles for a 2A Central Region doubleheader. Then Saturday they play in the Payson Ice Breaker tournament where they’ll face North Sanpete, Pleasant Grove, Union, and Lehi.