Monday Rundown: Busy weekend, but time to focus on region

COMMENTARY — Several of Region 9’s baseball teams used Friday or Saturday to sneak in some final non-league games against some quality opponents.

region-9-baseball-2The Snow Canyon Warriors, for instance, moved their league game with Canyon View from Friday to Wednesday, so they could host one more early spring tournament. The defending-champs needed a little pick-me-up this weekend, too, as Canyon View surprised SC by squeezing past left-handed fireballer Riley Gates 2-1 Wednesday. The home win for the Falcons came behind the sharp-pitching of Zach Brinkerhoff, who allowed the Warriors just one run on six hits. Canyon View scored a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to get the win.

So Snow Canyon jumped into the weekend tourney with a little fire in its eyes. The Warriors exploded for 12 runs in a 12-2 mercy-rule game against Las Vegas. SC pounded out 19 hits, including a home run by Tyler Wardell. Chandler Day got the win.

Snow Canyon then beat Springville 11-8 Friday with Brady Sargent and Jake Lindsey each going yard.

Saturday, SC fell behind Cactus, Ariz., 14-2 before scoring 11 unanswered runs, including a grand slam dinger for Brady Sargent. But the rally fell just short at 14-13. The Warriors then closed out the weekend with a 12-2 mercy-rule win over Park City. Sargent and Lindsey both went deep again and Lindsey was 4-for-4 from the plate. Will Durante got the win, putting SC at 7-4 on the season.

More importantly, perhaps, for the Warriors was the 48 runs scored in four games after managing just one against Canyon View.

Meanwhile, Dixie went to northern Utah for a two-game set a day after losing a home region game to Desert Hills. The Flyers found mixed results at frigid Fremont High, beating Roy 10-2, but losing to Fremont 3-1.

Braxton Ipson homered and Tyson Graff tripled vs. Roy as Ausitn Ruseler picked up the win. It was a pitcher’s duel in the second game with Fremont’s Taylor Kranendonk beating Dixie’s Anthony Bauman. Fremont is coached by former Dixie skipper Jeff Messerly.

Over at Desert Hills, coach Jerry Beck is thrilled his team has started well. The Thunder are 2-0 in region and alone in first place.

“I know there are a lot of games left, but at Desert Hills we have traditionally started region slow and had to scramble late in the year to make the playoffs,” he said. “It’s nice to start a little better this year.”

region-9--boys-soccerIn soccer, Dixie’s close home win vs. Snow Canyon went almost exactly according to script. Both teams are stingy defensively, with a free kick rocket by Caeser Perez being the difference in the game.

The Warriors are still barely in first place, with a 2-1-1 record (seven points). Meanwhile, four other teams have six points in Pine View (2-2), Dixie (2-1), Desert Hills (2-1) and Cedar (2-1). Confused? Just remember that teams get three points for a win and one point for a tie and all teams will play the same number of games by the end of region play.

region-9-softballIn softball, the Snow Canyon Warriors are still perfect at 9-0. Coach Brandyn Sargent and her team hasn’t even had a close game since the season-opener, a 4-3 win over Springville on Mar. 7. Since then, the Lady Warriors have won eight games by a combined score of 68-13 (average score: 8.5-1.6).

Pine View is the only team to have scored more than three runs on Snow Canyon and that came in a 9-4 Warriors win.

region-9-track-and-fieldThere was a monster-sized track and field meet this weekend at Pine View. There were 29 boys teams and 26 girls teams at PVHS over the weekend, with Orem taking the girls team title and Alta and Herriman winning the boys team competition.

Park City’s Ben Saarel was the meet star, winning three events (the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters), though Hurricane’s Adam Thompson won the 100 meters and the long jump and Desert hills boys had two winners in Brad Wulfenstein in the 110-hurdles and Blake Kvarfordt in the shot put. Pine View won the sprint medley relay.

On the girls side, Cedar had two individual winners in Aimee Bryson in the 800 meters and Marley Fakahua in the shot put. The Lady Reds also won the 4 X 400 relay.

girls basketballThey had a girls hoops all-star festival up north on Saturday. The 5A South team beat the 5A North team 82-68, the 1As beat the 2As 76-75 and the 3A stars, led by a (nearly) whole roster of southern Utahns, whipped the 4A stars 83-62.

The games, for seniors only, were up-tempo and that played into the hands of Amy Harris (13 points) and Caroline Lantor (13) as well as Megan Leavitt (9) and Luiz Thompson (7).

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Andy Griffin is a sports commentator. The opinions stated in this article are his and not representative of St. George News.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.

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