Prep softball: Box Elder’s Lucy Braegger seals 11-3 series win over Clearfield
Dinged pitcher's room turning toward Braegger with nine games to go
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- Box Elder’s Brooke Richards (left) and Lucy Braegger (right) are jubilant during a region softball game at Clearfield High on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Clearfield
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- Clearfield High’s Lilly Lara (left) tags Box Elder’s Brooke Richards (right) during a region softball game on Tuesday, April 15, 2024, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder’s Lucy Braegger rips her pitch during a region softball game at Clearfield High on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Jenna Lloyd (4) fires in her pitch during a region softball game versus Box Elder on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Lyla Leonhardt rips at a pitch during a region softball game versus Box Elder on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder’s Kailee Hall crosses home plate during a region softball game at Clearfield High on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Clearfield.
CLEARFIELD — Four hits and three runs are all Box Elder’s Lucy Braegger spared during Tuesday’s 11-3 series winner at Clearfield, and the right-hander can expect a bit of overtime as the Bees chase a region pennant in the weeks ahead.
Braegger (8-0), tallying six strikeouts in win No. 8, and the Bees (16-2, 8-1 Region 5) remain shielded region-wise following a two-game sweep of the Falcons (9-6, 6-3), but not without the abrupt loss of sophomore Kennadie Blackmer (7-2) before the first pitch.
Blackmer sustained an apparent foot injury during a Monday sophomore game and is out of the rotation for “a couple of weeks,” according to Box Elder coach Brian Merrill. Blackmer served up her fourth one-hit outing in a 5-0 shutout over Clearfield last Friday.
“It’s really good to have a one and a two, and they’re really like a (No.) 1 and a 1.0,” Merrill said of Braegger and Blackmer. “As you know, we’ve got (Blackmer) in a boot right now so that could be hard on Lucy. She’s going to have to step up and carry a lot of the way.”
A first-inning grand slam by Maclee Willard, nine RBI by the Bees, and five Clearfield errors set the stage for Box Elder’s third consecutive win Tuesday. Braegger, recording her ninth appearance with four or fewer hits allowed, closed the final four frames with no runs allowed.
Kailee Hall (2-4, 2 RBI), Jenna Marble (3-4, 2 RBI), and Quincey Lish (3-4, 1 RBI) stirred the pot early for a 10-3 lead on Clearfield’s Jenna Lloyd (7.0 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) through the fifth inning.
The Falcons’ only answers came via Lyla Leonhardt and Skylar Davis in the first; Lilly Lara bunted into an error by Madeline Jeppsen in the third, scoring Leonhardt clear from first base on the same error. Braegger and the Bees held Clearfield hostage the rest of the way.
“I think our defense showed up,” Braegger said. “We’ve had two big losses but I feel like we’ve learned from them and came back stronger. … Thursday’s match will be real tough and it’ll be a good showing how we learn from our mistakes.”
Two wins over testy Clearfield certainly bolster Box Elder’s case with nine games to go, but Blackmer’s absence will be inevitably felt by Braegger, senior Brooklei Merrill and sophomore Ashtyn Pingree with an April slate including the likes of Bountiful, Bingham and Riverton.
Thursday, Box Elder welcomes in region frontrunner Bountiful and ace Ella Miller (1.66 ERA) as the Bees look to even the season series. The Redhawks narrowly escaped Box Elder at home 2-1 in nine innings on March 28.
While the matchup in the circle is yet to be decided, Blackmer’s putting her trust in Braegger, a junior, the same way she always has.
“(Braegger)’s really good at bouncing back and keeping her emotions in control,” Blackmer said. “That’s a good example for me. … We always want the mound for ourselves but we know that if we don’t get the mound that day, we’re being our biggest cheerleader for that person.”
Braegger and Blackmer, outside of softball and volleyball at Box Elder, grew up playing competitive softball together in and around Brigham City.
The ace combo made their first run at state last spring, helping the Bees make it just two games shy of the 5A state championship. Braegger said that the sophomore, even while not in the circle, brings her relief in more ways than innings pitched.
“Something I’ve learned is we’ll always have our ups and downs but we can use each other up from those,” Braegger said.
Brian Merrill and the Bees anticipate a full staff come postseason time, but the sixth-year coach said this new stress test of his pitching staff comes with the territory of late-season softball.
“They have to kind of trust each other,” Merrill said. “For a coach, we just put our trust in them and know when they go out there they’re going to do their job. Clearfield’s a great team and being forced because of the rain to play them on back-to-back days, it was just good to get through there and not take a loss.”
Box Elder and Bountiful are set to meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Brigham City.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker @standard.net and X @ctbecker.
