WASHINGTON TERRACE — Bonneville softball junior and ace right-hander Emmaline DeGroot does not consider herself a strikeout pitcher.

With the kind of defensive support the Lakers put on the field Thursday, she doesn’t need to be.

At bat, the Lakers plated all their runs in the second and third innings, and it was more than enough to down Box Elder 4-0 in a Region 5 whitewash.

“I am definitely not a strikeout pitcher, but I am a groundball, pop fly pitcher,” DeGroot said. “That’s why I love my defense so much because I know they always have my back. Our defense really showed up today.”

The left side of the infield was exceptional for Bonneville. Of the 21 outs recorded, six putouts were from the shortstop position and another four from third base.

“We’ve got Keli Scadden on third; she’s phenomenal. She has phenomenal range and has a cannon for an arm. Same with Brityn Buchanan, our shortstop,” DeGroot said. “They work so well together and I know anything hit on that side, they’re getting, no matter what.”

DeGroot pitched the complete-game shutout, scattering five hits, striking out three and did not issue a walk.

It was kind of a reversal of fortunes from her first game against the Bees (12-8, 4-3 Region 5), when she gave up six runs, although the Lakers (17-4, 6-2) won that one also and have swept the series.

“Me and my coach worked some things out; I’ve been working really hard lately, so it definitely paid off,” DeGroot said.

After scoring a run in the second inning, Bonneville added three in the third, the key hit a two-run single by DeGroot’s batterymate, catcher Sara Clausse.

“She’s amazing,” DeGroot said about Clausse. “It was an all-around victory for us today. We all played extraordinarily well. We hit well, we fielded well.”

Box Elder put runners on base in four of the seven innings, but only had two runners aboard once.

“We just didn’t hit the ball. They played a clean game,” Box Elder coach Brian Merrill said. “Our defense was fine, but you can’t win with zero runs. If we don’t hit, we don’t win. We didn’t put a ball in the outfield after the third inning.”

Five different players had one single each for the Bees.

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