Having received a first-round bye and the one-week break you get while others play their games, the Bingham Miners softball team were well rested for the 6A state tournament, and it showed. 

In the Super Regional May 15-16, Bingham destroyed Fremont 10-2 and 13-3 to move on to the next round. Seniors Shyann Banasky and Gracelyn Lemke belted home runs in game one, and Brecka Larson went the distance striking out 10. In game two, juniors Jenna Thomas and Kava Faiola went 3-for-4, while senior Brooklynn Fogg was perfect, going 3-for-3 at the plate. 

Would this hot hitting streak continue in 6A bracket play? 

The Miners first opponent on May 20 was Pleasant Grove—but there was absolutely nothing happy about the 11-0 onslaught Bingham’s bats leveled at the feet of the Vikings. Lemke, Rian Howland and Brenna 

Cowley each went 3-for-4 at the plate and Banasky had 3 RBI as the Miners rolled. Larson struck out 10 batters and Kendra Hintze came on in relief. Combined, the two pitchers allowed just two hits. 

Later on May 20, the foe was familiar in Mountain Ridge. Bingham’s rival. The Sentinels had given the Miners everything they could handle in the season finale May 8. But Bingham held on then for a 10-8 win. 

Who would triumph this time in this all-important bracket play showdown? 

The Miners would make no mistake about it, as they shellacked MR 10-0 in just five innings. Larson belted a home run and Banasky continued her torrid hitting streak, going 2-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBI. Larson allowed just one hit and earned her second straight shutout on the circle. 

In game two against Mountain Ridge May 21, a good night’s rest led to five Bingham players launching home runs that included a Larson grand slam, en route to a 17-0 victory in five innings. Larson scattered two hits and Banasky had four RBI in the win. 

Who would be next for the Miners that were now on an eight-game winning streak? Riverton. For the 6A championship. 

The Region 2 champs and losers of only four games, the rival Silverwolves were Bingham’s 6A championship game opponent for the second straight year. Each game the two crosstown rivals played was a nailbiter. 

Last year, the Miners got the first game then lost the last two to hand the Silverwolves the championship trophy. 

What would happen this year? 

Bingham [21-9] won the first game of the championship series 3-1 as Fogg belted a two-run home run that lifted the Miners to the victory. 

With a chance to win Bingham’s second state title in three years on the line in game two, the Miners were swinging their axes mightily at their rivals. Banasky hit a double in the first inning and then Larson brought her and another runner in with a home run as Bingham took a 3-0 lead over Riverton to end the first. 

The Miners held the lead through three innings as Riverton could only muster up one run during that time. It was very clear that the Miners, who trotted out Larson for the second consecutive game, were trying to close out the Silverwolves this time around and go home with the trophy. 

When would Larson’s arm give out? 

That was probably the question that the Miners coaching staff, helmed by Hall of Famer Mikki Jackson, had been wondering. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Miners unfortunately found out, as Riverton knocked in four of its five runs in the game, and then held on to hand Bingham a 5-3 loss at BYU’s Miller Field early on May 23. Larson’s arm only allowed six hits and yet aside from that first inning, the Miners could not score. 

It meant both Bingham and Riverton would be playing a win-or-else game three that afternoon at BYU. 

At the outset of game three, Bingham still couldn’t muster up any runs. The Miners settled for one run in the top of the third—that was only after Riverton scored four runs in the first and second innings off freshman Hintze, who is sure to be heard from again, having thrown a perfect game earlier this season against Weber. 

In the fourth, with Larson on in relief, Riverton scored one run to put Bingham in a 5-1 hole. 

In the top of the fifth inning, the Miners showed why they’d only lost one game in 10 when their bats exploded for five runs to take a 6-5 lead. That’s when Larson hopped back onto the circle knowing she had to save her team. And she did, in the bottom of the fifth in relief. 

Bingham would increase its lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth. However, Riverton scored five runs in the bottom of the inning, shelling Larson and ending Bingham’s season at 23-10-2. λ