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SPANISH FORK — Winning consecutive state titles isn't anything new for Grantsville's softball program.
The Cowboys are making quite the habit of it.
Winning pitcher Payten Bytheway helped herself with a double and three RBI as Grantsville went back-to-back with an 11-8 win over Emery at Spanish Fork Complex.
The sophomore started at first base before scattering just five hits with no earned runs over the final six innings from the circle while hitting 2-of-5 from the plate.
Kira Hart added three RBI for the Cowboys (17-10), and Elise Smith added two RBI for a team that scored 11 runs on 15 hits.
Katelyn Nielson belted a home run for Emery (22-6), which jumped out to an early lead with a four-run second before Grantsville tied the game at 5-5 with four of its own in the fourth.
The Spartans tied the game in the bottom of the eighth at 7-apiece. But Grantsville scored four in the top of the ninth to clinch its seventh championship in program history — tied for the sixth most in the Utah High School Activities Association record book.
It's the Cowboys' sixth state title since 2017 and seventh overall, including three-straight from 2017-19 and three in the past four years (no championships were contested in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
2A softball: Enterprise pulls away for 4th title in 6 years
At Spanish Fork Complex, Hali Christensen went 2-for-3 and Blakelee Christiansen scattered six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a complete-game effort in the circle as the Wolves topped Beaver, 8-3 to win their fourth state championship since 2019.
Macee Staheli and Kynlee Reber each drove in two runs for Enterprise (31-2), which pounded out eight runs on 10 hits and scored in every inning but one.
Kylah Humphries added two doubles and an RBI for the Wolves, who have won a championship in every contested season except 2022 since their current run began (the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Jerzee Beaumont, Alexys Atkin and Talia Alisa each drove in a run for Beaver (21-12), which held off South Sevier 3-2 in the consolation final earlier Saturday.
