ST. GEORGE — The Snow Canyon Little League baseball team from Santa Clara made its debut in the Little League World Series on Friday.
Playing at Williamsport, Pennsylvania’s Lamade Stadium in front of 10,500, fans plus a national television audience, the Snow Canyon squad lost to the Nolensville Little League team from Tennessee, 11-2, in six innings.
The Little League World Series is a double-elimination tournament, meaning a team has to lose twice to be eliminated. The Snow Canyon kids will play again on Sunday.
Snow Canyon made history earlier this month by becoming the first team from Utah to ever make it to the Little League World Series in the tournament’s 75-year history.
They were known as Utah during the Mountain Region tournament, which they won, and are now known as the Mountain team at the World Series. The Tennessee team, known as Southeast at the tournament, had defeated the New England team from Boston, 5-3, on Wednesday to advance to play Mountain on Friday.
The game capped off a tumultuous and emotional week for the Utah squad, which made both local and national headlines after one of its players, Easton Oliverson, fractured his skull in a fall from a bunk bed between Sunday night and Monday morning, during the team’s first night in Williamsport.
As previously reported in St. George News, Oliverson has been making significant progress in his recovery, with thousands of people expressing their support and offering prayers on his behalf. Among the notable well-wishers have been Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and several BYU football team players.
Oliverson’s brother Brogan took his brother’s lineup spot for Friday’s game, getting to bat during the bottom of the fifth. As he came to the plate, he received a supportive standing ovation from both those in the stadium and the opposing players on the field.
Mountain got off to a rocky start Friday afternoon, falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning. Southeast filled the bases on two singles and a walk, scoring their first run on a bases-loaded walk, which was then followed by a two-run double by Nash Carter. Southeast added another run on a sacrifice fly before Mountain pitcher Cody Ruffell struck out Grayson May for the third and final out.
Mountain picked up one run in the bottom of the first when Colton Gainey hit a line-drive double, scoring Reggie Ence, who’d singled to right field earlier.
Southeast walked to start off the second inning. Their next batter doubled, but Ence, the centerfielder, was able to throw out the leading baserunner at third on the play.
Southeast’s two runs came when one runner scored on a wild pitch and another on a dropped third strike. Relief pitcher Linc Hafen was then able to strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Mountain was unable to get anyone on base during the second or third innings, although they did put the ball in play four times.
Brex Whitney took over on the mound for Mountain in the third inning and managed to retire the side, with Southeast flying out to left, grounding out to short, then striking out swinging.
Whitney struck out two more batters in the top of the fourth. Even though he also allowed a double and two walks, Southeast wasn’t able to capitalize, leaving all three runners stranded when the final batter grounded out to second base with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Ence then led off for Mountain in the bottom of the fourth and was hit by a pitch, taking first base. Gainey then walked, after which Brogan Coop hit a fielder’s choice grounder to second, with Gainey being thrown out on the play but Ence advancing to third and Coop being safe at first.
While Hafen was batting next, Mountain executed a double steal, with Coop reaching second and Ence making it safely home to give the Utah team its second run of the game.
Hafen then grounded out to first, with Coop advancing to third on the play.
Mountain’s Chaz Hickman then walked, putting two runners on with two out. Southeast then brought in a new pitcher. Just as Pretson Threlfall started his at-bat, Hickman was caught trying to steal second, thereby ending the inning with Southeast still leading 6-2.
Southeast added five more runs in the top of the fifth, with the first two batters of the inning singling off Whitney. Although the next batter grounded out, both of the baserunners ended up scoring during that at-bat on wild pitches or passed balls. Southeast then hit another pair of singles, followed by a walk, during which another run came in. Mountain then brought in Kolby Lamoreaux to pitch, but Southeast kept its rally going, hitting four more singles and a sacrifice fly to take a commanding nine-run lead, 11-2.
Mountain then saw all three of its batters retired in the bottom of the fifth, with two groundouts and a strikeout.
In the sixth and final inning, Lamoreaux gave up a leadoff single to Southeast but then retired the next three batters to keep the score 11-2.
During the sixth and final inning, Mountain went three up and three down to end the game.
The Utah squad had two hits during the contest, one by Ence and one by Gainey.
The loss drops Mountain into the elimination bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Their next game, which will also be televised on ESPN, is scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. MDT, 11 a.m. EDT. Their opponent will be the winner of Saturday afternoon’s game between Northwest and Midwest. To see the full bracket, click here.
Update Aug. 19, 9 p.m. Additional photos added.
Photo Gallery
Players and coaches of the Mountain Region team from Santa Clara, Utah pose for a team photo at the Little League World Series, Williamsport, Pa., August 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League World Series, St. George News Jace Oliverson, center, father of Little Leaguer Easton Oliverson who was injured, holds Easton's medal, with another son, Brogan Oliverson (6) at his side on the championship team from Santa Clara, Utah, before a baseball game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press, St. George News Santa Clara, Utah's Brogan Oliverson, center, receives a medal as Falynn Randall looks on during player introductions before a baseball game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press, St. George News Santa Clara, Utah's Brogan Oliverson (6) shakes hands with teammate Preston Threlfall (10) after they both were introduced before a baseball game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press, St. George News Falynn Randall fields a ball during the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News Colton Gainey receives the ball at first during the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News The Snow Canyon Little League all-stars game during pre-game introductions at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News Dugout, the Little League mascot, high-fives Brogan Oliverson during the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News "Go Tank," written in honor of his injured brother Easton, is written on the wristband of Brogan Oliverson during the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News Cody Ruffell of the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars during their game against Nolensville, Tenn., at the Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Little League International, St. George News
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