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PROVO — In one of the most dramatic and emotionally charged rivalries in Utah high school sports, Riverton softball etched its legacy once again.
With hearts pounding and tensions peaking under the late Friday sun at BYU's Gail Miller Field, the Silverwolves surged past Bingham 10-7 in a Game 3 thriller to claim the school's second straight 6A state championship — and fourth in the last five years.
"This is what championship softball looks like," Riverton head coach Whitley Haimin said. "We've been through it with Bingham before. We respect them, but our girls wanted this more than anything."
It's a rivalry built on proximity, postseason battles, and mutual respect; and, once again, it came down to a winner-take-all finale between Region 2 powerhouses.
Friday's contest marked the third championship series meeting in the past five years between the Miners and Silverwolves, with Riverton winning in 2021, 2023, and now 2024.
After falling 3-1 in Game 1 Thursday night, Riverton responded with a 5-3 victory in Game 2 Friday morning, forcing the decisive finale. What followed was arguably the most electrifying game of the series.
The Silverwolves wasted no time asserting themselves. Riverton jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings, sparked by RBI plays from Avery Sanchez and Londyn Rentmeister.
But Bingham wasn't about to bow out quietly. The Miners stormed back in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on a flurry of momentum that included a double from Brenna Cowley, a bases-loaded walk, and a sacrifice fly from Shyann Banasky to take a 6-5 lead. The five-run inning flipped the game and the pressure.
Riverton responded, though.
In a moment that would've blown the roof off the stadium, Peyton Sanchez crushed what appeared to be a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. But after a lengthy discussion and appeal, the home run was erased due to an illegal substitution, taking back all three runs and restoring Bingham's 6-5 advantage.
Where some teams might have unraveled, Riverton doubled down.
In the bottom of the sixth, after Bingham issued an intentional walk to power-hitter Maggie Hamblin, senior Grace Leary delivered the moment of the game — a bases-loaded triple to right field that flipped the score once again.
Leary then came home on a sacrifice fly from Aspen Roberts to cap off a five-run inning. Sanchez, back in the lineup — officially this time — added an RBI single for insurance, making it 10-7.
Freshman pitcher Kaelyn Flynn returned to the circle to close the game and sealed the title with a composed performance, highlighted by a double play that ended the game and triggered a Silverwolves celebration.
The Silverwolves hoisted the trophy for the fourth time in five years, officially cementing themselves as a modern dynasty in Utah high school softball.
Since 2021, either Riverton or Bingham has hoisted the 6A trophy — a testament to both team's talent and competitive fire. For Haimin, the victory wasn't just about revenge or redemption, it was about legacy.
Game 2: Riverton rallies past Bingham in thriller to force winner-take-all
The Silverwolves stormed back from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Bingham 5-3 on Friday morning, forcing a decisive Game 3 in the 6A state championship series later this evening.
It looked like deja vu for Riverton early on.
Just like in Game 1, Bingham jumped ahead quickly this time behind a towering three-run homer from senior pitcher Brecka Larson in the top of the first inning. Larson, who also pitched a complete Game 1 win, crushed her fifth home run of the season over the right-field wall, giving the Miners a commanding start.
Riverton quickly shuffled the pitching deck, turning to freshman Kaelyn Flynn after the early surge. Flynn settled things down, and the Silverwolves chipped away at the deficit, starting with a sacrifice fly in the second to get on the board.
Defensive star Grace Leary made her presence felt all over the field, turning key plays and keeping Bingham's offense at bay. Then came the breakthrough.
Down 3-1 in the fourth inning, Riverton's bats came alive. Power-hitting senior Maggie Hamblin tied the game with a monster two-run homer — her 16th of the season — that reignited the Silverwolves and their crowd.
That blast sparked a four-run inning, with Aspen Roberts smacking a go-ahead RBI double and Jaden Bushman following it up with a base hit that pushed the lead to 5-3.
That was all the cushion Riverton needed. The defense clamped down, with standout plays from Leary and a game-ending catch by Alee Boulden sealing the win and setting up one final clash between two of 6A softball's giants.
This marks the third time in the last five seasons — and second straight year — that Riverton and Bingham have faced off in the 6A state championship series. The Region 2 foes have combined to win the last four titles, with Riverton claiming three and Bingham one.
The Miners took Game 1 on Thursday with a 3-1 victory, the exact scoreline they used to open last year's series. But Riverton ultimately won the 2023 championship in Game 3, a pattern they hope to repeat once again.
