WEST JORDAN — The Panthers got the best of the Flyers twice in the regular season; however, when it came down to the win-or-go-home situation on Tuesday, it was Dixie that survived.
GJ Erickson battled on the mound and Brieten Oaks excelled through injury to keep the Flyers’ bid for a state title alive. In the process, they ended Pine View’s season, sending them home without a win in the double-elimination tournament.
“They’re a scrappy team, and we’re a scrappy team,” Oaks said. “It feels good to send them home.”
Oaks went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs. He is the only player so far in the tournament to go deep and now he’s done it twice. He’s also done it with what the Dixie trainer said is believed to be a broken distal bone in the middle finger of his left hand.
Oaks took a pitch off the finger in the first game of the tournament against Snow Canyon. He said he didn’t even realize at the time anything was wrong, crediting adrenaline. Now, he’s battling through the discomfort and performing at a high level.
“I should’ve broken it a lot sooner,” Oaks joked.
Batting out of the two-hole, Oaks launched a homer on the first pitch he saw from Pine View starter Traton Staheli in the top of the first, giving Dixie a 1-0 lead just three pitches into the game. He launched his second homer off Brandon Roundy in the seventh to bring the score to its final.
Erickson allowed two runs in the second but controlled Pine View in the other six innings. Brandon Roundy and Ian Becker hit back-to-back singles to start the scoring before Dylan Becker reached on an error that allowed Roundy to cross the plate. Jevin Crosby singled to drive in Ian Becker shortly after.
Three of Pine View’s seven hits came in the second. The other four were spread across four different innings. None of the seven hits were more than singles. Erickson kept the Panthers down, inducing eight groundouts and three strikeouts over seven innings. He issued only one walk.
For Dixie, Jaxon Mackelprang had the game’s only double in a 2-for-3 effort. He and Oaks were the only Flyers to record multiple hits.
Staheli went five innings on the mound, striking out four Flyers. He allowed six hits. Offensively, Brandon Roundy and Tristen Bird each had two-hits performances.
It ends a run that saw Pine View sit atop the Region 9 standings for the majority of the season. They were in a tie with Snow Canyon and Desert Hills for the region title on the last day of the season and came within three outs of clinching a share of that prize.
They graduate key pieces of their core but also have youth that they will be able to rely on in years to come.
“We’ll be back next year,” Pine View head coach Glen MacLellan said.
Dixie advances to play Wednesday. They will face the loser of Snow Canyon and Ridgeline on Tuesday night. If the Flyers want a chance at the title, they will have to go through Snow Canyon once again, be it will be Wednesday or after.
“We want them for sure,” Oaks said. “We do. We’re hoping we can meet back up with them, that’d be fun. It’s always a good game with them.”
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No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News No. 7 Dixie vs. No. 3 Pine View, 4A state baseball playoffs, Cate Field. Salt Lake Community College, West Jordan, Utah, May 18, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News
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