Region 9 baseball: Pine View’s undefeated bid ends, Dixie and Crimson split low scoring series

Crimson Cliffs baseball third baseman Tate Maynard leaps for a throw in the team's game at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, April 13, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — As teams crossed the halfway point of the regional season, the last undefeated Region 9 team fell.

Crimson Cliffs baseball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, April 13, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Pine View was dealt its first loss after a flawless first half, dropping the second game of the series to Cedar. Elsewhere, Crimson Cliffs and Dixie played to a low-scoring split and Snow Canyon and Desert Hills beat up on the winless Canyon View Falcons and Hurricane Tigers, respectively. Joey Brooks of the Thunder drove in a total of nine runs in the series with Hurricane.

As the end of the season approaches, teams only have six games to jockey for position. Just two games separate first place from fourth. Snow Canyon and Pine View, tied at 7-7 for the top spot, meet on Tuesday night to start what could be a pivotal series.

Here are recaps from week four’s games, along with the schedule for series openers in week five and the current Region 9 baseball standings:

Cedar deals Pine View its first loss, splits series

Tuesday: Pine View 6, Cedar 5

Friday: Cedar 9, Pine View 3

A run-scoring error in the top of the seventh capped a comeback for Pine View to stay undefeated in region play.

Pine View baseball at Cedar, Cedar City, Utah, April 13, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Ian Becker stole third with two outs and scored when the attempt to catch him got loose. It gave the Panthers their first lead of the game and ultimately the win.

Pine View entered the fifth inning down 5-1. Cedar posted two runs in both the second and third and another in the fourth. Cedar got six hits between the second and third and took advantage of a Pine View error in the fourth.

The Panthers left the fifth inning tied, however. They rattled off five consecutive hits to score four runs.

Four Panthers had multi-hit games: Luke Iverson, Hunter Stubbs, Brandon Roundy and Ian Becker. Becker drove in two runs and stole two bases. Stubbs gave up four earned runs in 2.1 innings in the start, but Brandon Roundy allowed only two hits over the final 4.2 innings to secure the win.

Miles Topham got the start for Cedar, striking out six over 4.1 innings with four walks and eight hits allowed. Offensively, Topham had two hits, tied with Braxtan Torres to lead the Reds.

When the series moved south, however, it was all Reds. Cedar scored five runs in the top of the first and led 7-0 by the end of the second. Pine View starter Keaton Brooksby walked the first four hitters of the game and got only one out (a sacrifice fly). Luke Iverson settled the game down coming in relief, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing no earned runs, though four unearned crossed.

The game was already decided, however. Cedar starter Kolby White didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning, striking out seven. The Panthers got consolation runs in the sixth and seventh but could not get within the five runs given up out of the gate.

It dealt Pine View their first loss of the Region 9 season.

The Panthers outhit the Reds 8-5 and had a pair of doubles from Tristen Bird and Hunter Stubbs, the only extra-base hits of the game. Stubbs went 3-for-4 with a run. No Red recorded a multi-hit game, but Brecken Campbell went 1-for-2 with two runs, three RBIs and a pair of walks.

Pine View falls to 7-1 and drops to second in Region 9 with a 13-2 overall record.

Cedar improves to 3-5/6-13 and travels to Crimson Cliffs on Tuesday.

Warriors muscle up in sweep of Canyon View

Tuesday: Snow Canyon 12, Canyon View 8

Friday: Snow Canyon 15, Canyon View 2

A characteristic performance by Snow Canyon’s offense helped them overcome an uncharacteristic defensive performance in Cedar City on Tuesday.

Canyon View baseball at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 16, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

The Warriors piled on 12, including eight in the third, to fend off a late push by Canyon View to get back in the game. The Falcons, at one point down by seven, rallied back to within two by the end of the sixth inning.

The eight runs allowed by Snow Canyon ties for the team’s most allowed in a Region 9 contest this season.

Five Falcons tallied multi-hit games: Holden Miller, Cameron Calvez, Tommy English, Hutson Slack and BoDee Burrows. Miller and Burrows hit doubles and Calvez hit a homer.

For Snow Canyon, Cam Terry allowed three runs in three innings after getting the starting nod. Josh Akins allowed five runs in two innings of relief, but only two were earned. Landon Frei threw two innings of scoreless relief.

Mayze Mosher went 2-for-5 with a homer and a double for the Warriors, driving in three. Isaac Lyon and Mason Strong also went yard. Easton Rigby drew four walks.

Things went much more smoothly for Snow Canyon behind their ace on Friday at home. Carston Herman allowed a lone hit as the Warriors 10-run ruled the Falcons in five innings.

Herman struck out 10 in those five innings. Only one of his two allowed runs were earned. He walked one.

Canyon View scored both of their runs in the fourth. Kody Callison reached on an error and English was hit by a pitch before Chase Calvez drove them both in with a double into the right field gap. Herman rebounded by striking out the side in the top of the fifth to clinch the win.

Snow Canyon scored in all four of their turns at the bat, capped by nine in the fourth inning. Strong, Frei and Ence all hit homers and five Warriors had multi-hit efforts. As a team, they drew 10 walks to only six strikeouts.

With Pine View’s loss, Snow Canyon has a level 7-1 regional record to tie with the Panthers atop the standings. The Warriors sit at 17-2 overall. They host Pine View on Tuesday.

Canyon View moves to 0-8 and 4-14 overall. They travel to Desert Hills next.

Low-scoring games lead to Dixie, Crimson Cliffs split

Tuesday: Dixie 5, Crimson Cliffs 2

Friday: Crimson Cliffs 4, Dixie 3

Dixie defended its home field in a late effort. Neither team scored until the fifth, when the Flyers broke through for three. Jaxon Mackelprang and Shea Anderson both hit doubles, combined with a sacrifice fly by Brieten Oaks and a reached-on-error by Daniel Acuna.

Crimson Cliffs baseball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, April 13, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Crimson answered with two in the top of the sixth but the Flyers nullified it with a pair of scores in the bottom half.

Brexten Starley and Malcolm Bartholomew held the opposing offenses quiet through five innings in their respective starts. Both runs allowed by Bartholomew came unearned. Cayson Bell allowed one hit over the final 1.2 innings to lock down the win.

Jacob St. Cyr went 3-for-3 for the Flyers. He was the only player in the game to have more than one hit.

At Crimson, another low-scoring affair ensued. The Mustangs scored three times in the second and an insurance run in the fourth proved to be all they needed as Jaiven Ross and the Crimson bullpen threw a gem.

Ross allowed only four hits in his 4.1 innings and pitched around four hits and six walks with five strikeouts. Aaron Morris and Petey Soto each threw 1.1 innings of relief, combining to walk six but yielding no hits. 

In the three-run third, Brexten Starley, Jayz Estridge and Soto hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to start the frame, each scoring. Jayger Baldwin hit another double to drive in Soto with the third one.

For Dixie, Mackelprang drove in a pair with a double. St. Cyr and starting pitcher Grayson Erickson each drew three walks.

Dixie stays at .500 with a 4-4 regional record and an 8-9 overall. They host the Hurricane Tigers next.

Crimson moves to 5-3/12-6. The Mustangs host Cedar next.

Joey Brooks’ nine RBIs guide hot Desert Hills offense

Tuesday: Desert Hills 14, Hurricane 1

Friday: Desert Hills 16, Hurricane 6

Joey Brooks drove in nine runs across both games to guide a red-hot Desert Hills offense to a sweep over Hurricane.

Brooks went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in Tuesday’s road rout. Brooks drove in a pair with a single in Desert Hills’ eight-run third inning with a single. He drove in another with an additional one-bagger in the five-run fourth.

Ten different Thunder drove in a run, including every member of the starting lineup. Blake Gubler drove in a run off the bench. The team recorded 11 hits, with only Cole DeCastro’s double going for extra bases. They drew nine walks and only struck out twice. Kaden Terry went 2-for-3 while striking out five in three innings in the start.

Brooks gave up the lone run on the mound in an inning of relief, walking two and giving up a single. The Desert Hills pitching staff altogether held the Tigers to just three hits in the five-inning contest.

At Desert Hills, the Thunder jumped out 11-1 after the third thanks in large part to a seven-run third.

Brooks drove in six runs out of the seven-hole with a double and a home run. He cleared the bases with a two-bagger in the first and hit a walkoff three-run bomb to secure the 10-run rule in the fifth. 

Payton Gubler went 3-for-3 with a walk, driving in two and scoring three. Luke Orchard went 2-for-2.

Gubler struck out four in three innings on the mound. He allowed a lone unearned run.

Desert Hills sits third in Region 9 with a 6-2 record. They are 16-2 overall. On Tuesday, the Thunder host the Falcons.

Hurricane falls to 0-8 and 2-16. They travel to Dixie on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game schedule (April 20)

  • Canyon View at Desert Hills
  • Cedar at Crimson Cliffs
  • Hurricane at Dixie
  • Pine View at Snow Canyon

Region 9 baseball standings, as of April 19

  1. Snow Canyon 7-1 (17-2)
  2. Pine View 7-1 (13-2)
  3. Desert Hills 6-2 (16-2)
  4. Crimson Cliffs 5-3 (12-6)
  5. Dixie 4-4 (8-9)
  6. Cedar 3-5 (6-13)
  7. Canyon View 0-8 (4-14)
  8. Hurricane 0-8 (2-16)

Cedar City News reporter JEFF RICHARDS contributed to this story.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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