The championship stages of the 5A State Baseball Championship began Monday at Salt Lake Community College’s Cate Field with four games in two separate double-elimination goals.
The first game of the day was marked by Maple Mountain’s 8-6 victory over Woods Cross Wildcats. The Golden Eagles immediately jumped to a 4-0 lead early in the game and did not lose control despite the many valiant efforts of the Wildcats. Cole Rollins and Bunge Horsley were able to walk and hit the field in back-to-back billboard appearances to fill the bases with two spurs that had already come home. That’s when Josh Crandall took a great base kick that escaped the left-field line and brought in another pair of runs to give his team control.
Woods battled Kroos, scoring six runs across the home board in every game, but the Golden Eagles kept their distance from each other throughout the game. With no one at the top of the third set and two naysayers at the top of the third set, Toby Stoddart’s run allowed two more center hits to score two rounds and extend his lead to five. Crandall again found himself racking up players in the scoring center in Game 4, and landed just another RBI to answer the pair of runs the Wildcats had just scored.
In the final setup, Woods Cross managed to pressure Cole Rollins. A duo of seven double layers and nine shades allowed a tie to reach the base with just one. Rollins refocused and proceeded to hit the next hitters, clinching a vital victory at Maple Mountain on the first day of the week-long tournament.
“You have to have a plan and a method. We wanted the field to be in the middle and not lose a foot. If you can do your job, you have to trust the results. ” Maple Mountain coach Gary Miner said: “He did a great job, he made his way and was… The Woods Cross bunker is very loud and lively, but he did what he’s doing and he gave us a good game.”
On the night of the World Cup, Olympus lost number one to Uriem 1-0 in the goalkeeping duel between Ashton Johnson and Clayton Burke. Both shooters went to the full seven rounds, received eight hits, and combined to allow just four hits in each game.
Heading into the top of the sixth inning, Orem still had a single hit to score. Sawyer Slade and Taylor Gill were able to tie, putting a running back in the center of Cohen Strickland’s score. Faced with the 1-1 count, Strickland was able to gain a linear lead in right field that only scored the Tigers in the game as they caused another disturbance.
Bracket 2 appeared at noon, early afternoon, Salem Hills fighting for a 2-0 victory over Farmington behind Stone Cushing’s full-game suspension.
Zaylun Fenn hit a shuttlecock to midfield in the first half and this run was enough to win the game. The SkyHawks crime ran into some difficulties early on. After the catch flew, they let two runners escape and then Jarrett hit Elmer three times a second, but again Salem Hills couldn’t get him home.
Cushing hit the side to start the match and rarely missed the rest of the way. He finished with eight punches, four punches allowed and did not walk a single punch in a successful performance.
When asked how it feels to play for so long at only half, Cushing said: “When we progress this year, we feel relaxed. I feel comfortable with our team and I feel comfortable with our opportunities ”.
Farmington’s best chance to score came in Game 5. Hit after hit, followed by a double kick and another pitch, they loaded Team Phoenix’s bases with their next power hit at bat. On a 0-1 count, SkyHawks threw the ball that Elmer fired at second baseman Gavin Avert, starting the potential run to finish the half.
Salem Hills added a run in the sixth inning, allowing them to be more aggressive as the game ended. They did it and an important victory: it is very difficult to win on Saturday without winning on Monday.
Salem Hills coach Scott Hani said: “The best team on the field will win, and we have to have more players. We love our team and we will continue to fight for that. “
Spanish Fork had a surprise 8-3 victory over Tempanojos in a difficult match that saw a change of momentum of late.
The mighty retired 3-1 and headed to the top of the fifth game. With two wins and two, Will Dart hit a fly ball to midfield cutting the Timberwolves’ lead in half. Zach Dart walked before Easton Romero got into the racket. Romero struggled from count 1-2 and finally forced her to satiate. He then made the eighth racket pitch deep into the right-field wall, turning the one-time deficit to a three-time lead in the process.
Monday’s results were an exciting Tuesday as the tournament progressed. Salem Hills will play Spanish Fork and Orem playing Maple Mountain in the night games, while Timpanogos, Farmington, Olympus and Woods Cross will participate in the morning class of a loss.
