Prep softball: Hayes employs ‘intensity’ for Weber High’s second win of season
Weber racks up 18 hits in 19-13 win over county neighbor Bonneville
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- Weber High’s Emery Hayes delivers a pitch to Bonneville during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Bonneville’s Taylor Casey, left, tags Weber High’s Macie Potokar, right, late during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Ari Hillan connects on a pitch by Bonneville during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Bonneville’s Ellee Summers connects with a pitch during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Macie Potokar greets her first base coach during a nonregion softball contest against Bonneville on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Raegan Blaisdell, left, and Emery Hayes, right, celebrate a run against Bonneville during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Bonneville’s Samantha Mills, left, and Andie Elmer, right, greet each other after scoring a run during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High gathers on the mound during a nonregion softball contest against Bonneville on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
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- Bonneville gathers on the mound during a nonregion softball contest on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.
PLEASANT VIEW — Like any high school softball team in the state, a lot of Northern Utah squads are pleased with a group that shows up, makes contact and puts some runs on the board. Weber and Bonneville are two of those squads right now.
Emery Hayes went seven full frames in Weber’s 19-13 home win over the Lakers on Wednesday, during one of the warmest days on the record so far this spring. The sophomore, producing seven strikeouts and just one walk in the heat, held Bonneville to two runs in the seventh, sealing the win on a day when both teams amassed at least 16 hits apiece.
It’s a new season for Weber (2-3), breaking in a new head coach in Janette Blaisdell — one of three new Region 1 head coaches on the scene, alongside Syracuse’s Kristy Knight and Farmington’s Adam Grimaldo. Experienced youngsters are hard to come by, and the Warriors will be looking to Hayes to stick out plenty more of those long, simmering days on the dirt.
“It was definitely hard and hot, and I was just doing my best to stay in it with the heat on my back,” Hayes said. “I like where I am, and I like the intensity and the stress of it because it pushes me through.”
Bonneville, falling to 1-4 to begin the regular season, led briefly in the first and later tied the board at 8-all in the fourth after Lakers starter Kaytlie Tippetts gave up a three-run bomb to Weber senior Ari Hillan in the third.
Ellee Summers ended the day with a team-high six RBIs for Bonneville, and sophomore Dani Elmer knocked in another four runs, but they’d never quite turn the tide.
Hillan (5-5, four RBIs), filing her first homer of her senior campaign for an 8-5 Weber lead in the bottom of the third, woke up the Warriors for an 11-run onslaught through the next three frames. Keeping Weber’s starter in mind, Hillan saved a bit of praise for her team’s young fighter gutting out the win as Bonneville dug up eight more runs in the back half of Wednesday’s game.
“I just think it pumped us all up, kept us going through the game,” Hillan said.
Up five by the top of the sixth, Weber senior Macie Potokar (2-5) hit a two-RBI single and opened the doors for a string of RBI doubles by sophomore Kaitlyn Tolman (3-5, two RBIs) and junior Jentry Skaggs (2-4, RBI) for a 19-11 lead.
Hayes allowed two runs to score on a sacrifice flyout by Elmer’s older sister, Andie, and a single by junior Samantha Mills, but held out to close the contest in the top of the seventh.
(Hayes), what she’s best at is just coming in and doing her job,” Hillan said. “I mean, that’s all we can ask of her — doing her job — and she does a great job out there every single time. She comes in and she just gets it done.”
She continued:
“It’s all about us stringing together hits,” Hillan said. “I think it sucks when it’s three up, three down but right as we get going and we get string a few together, it’s just a whole different ballgame.”
Bonneville freshman Emery Hastings, in the circle for the first time this season, stepped in for Tippetts in the fifth to finish the final two frames, allowing eight runs on 10 hits, a walk and zero strikeouts. Second-year Lakers coach Miranda Hernandez, leading last year’s team to a 9-18 record in her first season, is asking a lot of a young, inexperienced pitching staff this spring.
“She’s a hard worker,” Hernandez said of Hastings. “It’s nice of her even being willing to (pitch) for us.”
It’s three consecutive losses now for Bonneville, returning home Friday for its home opener and a region matchup against Fremont. The Silverwolves improved to 4-4 (1-1 Region 5) with their first region win 16-1 at Northridge on Tuesday.
“Our captains right now — (Mills), Marley (Chournos) and (Summers) — they’re really running and helping these girls figure out what needs to be done,” Hernandez said. “I’m really proud that they stepped up and they’ve done a lot of that coaching that we can’t necessarily get to when we’re helping these newer players. I appreciate that because those girls need to see what hard work is and looks like.”
Weber, on the other hand, hosts Logan on Friday. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
