The defending 4A softball champion Bear River Bears are charging back into the championship series with an unstoppable force, earning a mercy-rule victory in every bracket game they played. Their latest statement came Thursday in a commanding 12-2 semifinal win over Deseret Peak.

Head coach Jordan Theurer credits the team's depth as the secret to their dominance. "I feel like the last three games in bracket play, it's been a different kid to step up in different moments," Theurer said. "It's huge when you have one through nine (in the lineup) that can step up when it needs to or when they need to."

The game didn't start in the Bears' favor, as Deseret Peak grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. But Bear River, true to form, found their rhythm. A three-run third inning got them on the board, and the floodgates opened with a seven-run sixth inning to seal the 12-2 mercy-rule victory.

Thirteen base hits spread across nine different players, with seven recording at least one RBI. Bri Gardiner, Kate Wilson, and Marley Tisdol each drove in two runs, while Gardiner and Cora Miller added home runs to the highlight reel. The Bears also faced three different pitchers and adjusted on the fly.

"One thing that you love as a coach is being able to make adjustments from pitch to pitch," Theurer added. "We saw three pitchers in that last inning. We were making adjustments, which, when you can make adjustments pitch to pitch and not at-bats from at-bats, it puts you in a really good spot to put runs up."

On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Desert Hills showed their own resilience in a marathon 10-inning semifinal against Orem. The Thunder fought back from multiple deficits to claim a 7-6 win, setting up a championship series rematch with Bear River.

"One through nine, no one ever quits," said Desert Hills coach Heidi Taylor. "That's how it's been all year long."

With both teams boasting deep lineups and relentless determination, this championship series promises to be a battle for the ages.