High school softball: Desert Hills treads new ground in win over Bear River in game one of 4A championship series

TL;DR

Desert Hills defeated Bear River 3-1 in game one of the 4A softball championship series, marking a significant step towards breaking their championship curse. The Thunder's strong defense played a key role in their victory.

Key points

Desert Hills won 3-1 against Bear River
Game one of the 4A championship series
Riley Greene hit an in-the-park home run
Desert Hills aims to avenge previous championship losses
Strong defensive performance by Desert Hills

Mentioned in this story

Gail Miller Field

Desert HillsBear River4A championship series

Desert Hills infielder Riley Greene, center, celebrates with her teammates, infielder Jayla Ybright (15) and outfielder Bailey Lee (17) at home plate after successfully competing an in-the-park home run against Bear River during the first game of the 4A softball championship, held at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 15, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

The name of the game for this year’s Desert Hills squad is to avenge its previous championship losses. The Thunder made a run to the championship in both of the past two seasons, but each time were denied the elusive crown.

In both of those series, Desert Hills lost game one and failed to make up the ground. This time around, however, it proved that it’s serious about finally breaking the curse.

The Thunder dominated defensively and earned a leg up on defending champion Bear River in a 3-1 game one win Friday.

“Ideally, it puts a little more pressure on the other team,” said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor. “It’s what we’ve been mentally focusing on. We prepare, we do little drills mentally, and our talk was ‘We’re winning the first game.’”

Star pitcher Lulu West was the engine behind the entire game for the Thunder. West, who is a UConn commit, dished out 14 strikeouts in the win.

The pitching was huge against Bear River, which was the hottest team offensively after the 4A state tournament. The Bears got mercy-rule wins against every opponent in bracket play, and it was the first time in nearly a month they didn’t score double-digits.

But Desert Hills shut that down because it had a dominant pitcher in West.

“I felt good, my team felt good,” West said. “We were just really hyped, really excited, and we just came out and played our game.

Q&A

What was the score of the Desert Hills vs Bear River game one?

Desert Hills won game one of the 4A championship series against Bear River with a score of 3-1.

When did Desert Hills play Bear River in the 4A championship series?

Desert Hills played Bear River in game one of the 4A championship series on May 15, 2026.

Who scored an in-the-park home run for Desert Hills?

Riley Greene scored an in-the-park home run for Desert Hills during the game against Bear River.

What is Desert Hills' history in recent championship series?

Desert Hills has made it to the championship series in the past two seasons but lost both times, making this victory significant for their quest to win the title.