ST. GEORGE — The Dixie Flyers grabbed hold of first place behind a gem from pitching ace Drew Bailey, while Pine View snagged a road win at Canyon View and the Cedar Redmen rallied past Snow Canyon for a crucial win.
Dixie is the only unbeaten team left in region play, with the Thunder recording their first loss. Pine View and Snow Canyon have two losses each, with CV and Cedar both at 2-3. Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s action:
Dixie 5, Desert Hills 1
The Flyers scored three runs in the bottom of the first, more than exceeding the one run the Thunder had pushed across in the top of the inning.
That early lead was all Bailey would need in the game.
“I wasn’t worried when they got that run,” Bailey said. “Desert Hills is a very good team, but I knew my teammates would pick me up.”
The first inning was really the key. DH had scored without a hit after Trey Allred reached on a dropped third strike and eventually scored on a Dixie error.
But the Flyers came out ready to roll. Kody Hutchings reached on a dropped third strike and went to second on a single by cousin Collin Hutchings. With the runners moving, Jaden Rawlings soared a line drive over the DH right fielder’s head to score Kody Hutchings and tie the game. The next batter, Chaz Hansen, ripped a single to left field that scored Collin Hutchings and Rawlings, making it 3-1.
Bailey then put the Flyers on cruise control. In fact, the only hit the Thunder would get in the game came on a high fly ball by Preston Creager that the Dixie outfielders lost in the bright sky.
“He is such a good athlete,” Dixie coach Danny Ipson said of his senior leader. “He helps this team in so many ways, not just on the mound. He makes plays all over the field.”
Bailey ended up with an impressive line: one unearned run, one hit, five walks and 10 strikeouts.
Desert Hills left-handed hurler Brayson Hurdsman wasn’t bad, allowing just six hits and striking out 11. But the Flyers were able to put Hurdsman in several bad situations and a pair of sacrifice flies by Jaxon Davis and Tyson Fisher in the fifth inning pushed the lead to 5-1, pretty insurmountable with Bailey throwing bebees.
Rawlings ended up with a perfect day at the plate. Along with his first-inning double, he had a single and two walks, scoring two runs. Collin Hutchings also had two hits and scored a run.
“We’re very happy to be 3-0 in region, but there’s a long way to go,” Ipson said. “We know that Region 9 is brutal. Every game is big and right now we’re focused on getting ready to play Desert Hills. It’s always tough to get a win at Thunder Field.”
The Flyers, 12-2 overall, are at DH Thursday at 7 p.m. and then play a two-game set with Cedar next week.
The Thunder, 9-5 overall and 2-1 in region, had their four-game winning streak stopped with the loss to Dixie. D-Hills hosts Dixie Thursday and then battles Canyon View next week.
Stats: dhdix33115
Pine View 5, Canyon View 2
Panthers ace Dakota Donovan got back to his winning ways with a five-strikeout performance against the Falcons Tuesday afternoon.
Donovan, a junior, scattered eight singles in the game and walked just one Canyon View player to record the complete-game victory. Only one of the two CV runs were earned.
But even with the dominant performance, Pine View trailed 1-0 heading into the fifth inning. Kash Walker created the tying run in that inning, singling and then stealing second base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Connor Clark.
The Falcons threatened to take the lead back by getting a couple of men on in the bottom of the fifth, but Donovan got a popup and a strikeout to end the threat.
The Panthers then took control of the contest with a huge sixth inning. Donovan got things started with a one-out double. After a pitching change, Brooks Barney gave Pine View the lead with an RBI single to left field. Blake Ence followed with a single to left, putting men on first and second with still just one down.
That’s when Hunter Hansen ripped a double to the gap in left-center that scored both Barney and Ence and made it 4-1. One out later, Clark singled home Hansen to make it 5-1.
The Falcons did push a run home in the seventh on an RBI by Keaton Kringlen, but could get no closer than the final score.
Logan LaFemina had a pair of hits for PV, which improved to 6-7 overall and 3-2 in region play. The two teams rematch Wednesday night at Panther Field with Harrison Goebel expected to take the mound for PV and Ty Nielson for the Falcons. CV is 6-8 overall and 2-3 in region.
Stats: pvcv33115
Cedar 6, Snow Canyon 3
Behind ace Brecken Lewis, the Redmen rallied from 2-1 down to take the home victory.
Hard-hitting Isaac Rhea, who homered and knocked in all three Snow Canyon runs, the Warriors had a lead going into the third inning. But Cedar tied it with a score in the bottom of the third, then took the lead with two in the bottom of the fourth.
SC pulled to within 4-3 on a Rhea RBI in the top of the sixth, but Cedar answered with two more to put the game away.
Trey Esplin had four hits for the Redmen, including a pair of doubles. Braden Lasson and Kyle Carrizosa each had a pair of hits as well for Cedar, which pounded out 12 base knocks in the game. The Redmen also took advantage of three Snow Canyon errors. Lewis went the distance and struck out nine batters.
For the Warriors, Ike Jorgensen doubled and Nick Dolce scored a pair of runs.
Cedar, 10-4 overall and 2-3 in region play, snaps a three-game losing streak. The two teams will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the rematch.
Snow Canyon, 11-2 overall and 3-2 in region, will likely start Jorgensen on the mound Wednesday, while Cedar will counter with Dusty Hanna.
Stats: scced33115
Dixie starting pitcher Drew Bailey (22), Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Wyatt Bendall takes a swing for the Thunder, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Desert Hills' Chad Nelson puts the ball in play, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Trey Allred (7) gets congratulations from his teammates after scoring the first run for the Thunder, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Thunder starting pitcher Brayson Hurdsman (2), Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Kody Hutchings (8), Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Desert Hills catcher Wyatt Bendall throws to first base, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Kody Hutchings (8) scores for the Flyers, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Hobbs Nyberg takes a cut for the Flyers, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Jaxon Davis makes contact for Dixie, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Trey Winget (13) takes a swing for Desert Hills, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Desert Hills' Preston Creager, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Drew Bailey throws to jaxon Davis to pick off a runner, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Jaden Rawlings rips a pitch to the wall in center field for the Flyers, Desert Hills vs. Dixie, Baseball, St. George, Utah, Mar. 31, 2015 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
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