SOUTH JORDAN — The Snow Canyon Warriors became the first top seed to avoid the upset in the championship rounds, walking off rival Dixie in an all-Region 9 matchup on day one, 7-6.
It wasn’t the middle-of-the-order seniors that got the job done for Snow Canyon. Some of the pivotal players of the game came from the bottom of the order and one didn’t even step between the chalk lines during the game.
“The attitudes have been great,” Snow Canyon head coach Reed Secrist said. “I think they understand what’s going on here. They all want to play. There’s guys here that don’t play that I know want to play but they keep cheering for their teammates, doing the right thing. That’s what it takes.”
Jackson Ence pulled a game-winning single into left field with one out in the bottom of the seventh to score Jake Hill from second and end the contest. It redeemed the Warriors after they allowed an early lead to gradually slip away over the course of the game. Following a 4-0 lead after the second, Dixie eventually pulled the game into a tie in the sixth.
The Warriors scored a lone run in the first before stockpiling three in the second. They converted on a Luke Anderson leadoff doubles with a sacrifice fly by Landon Frei two batters later for their first score of the game. In the second, they strung together five singles for three scores.
After falling to Dixie starter Malcolm Bartholomew in the regular season, the Warriors knocked him for seven hits in the first two innings. They tallied only two knocks against Bartholomew over seven innings on May 4.
Secrist credited some more depth talent that didn’t even play during the game for the offensive success.
“Easton Schwindemin, one of our guys who hasn’t pitched much, he’s my only left-hander other than Carston, threw live to them,” Secrist said. “I think Easton Schwindemin helped the guys win that game and he wasn’t on the field.”
While the offense got rolling, Carston Herman stalled the Flyers, retiring the first eight hitters of the game before Boston Vest doubled in the third. Dixie found the scoreboard in the fourth, scoring Brieten Oaks on a balk after he doubled to lead off the frame.
In response, the Warriors re-extended their lead to four runs in the bottom half.
Dixie rallied in the fifth the knot the game by reaching in six straight plate appearances: two by walk, four by single. Jaden Davis lined a ball into center to score Oaks, giving Dixie its fourth run of the inning and game-tying fifth total.
After Snow Canyon converted Sam Lindsey’s leadoff double in the bottom half, the Flyers tied the score once again in the sixth on a Shea Anderson triple in the right-center gap.
Neither team scored in their next turns at bat, setting up the bottom-of-the-seventh heroics. Lindsey doubled again with one out and was lifted for Hill. Easton Rigby was intentionally walked to bring Ence to the plate.
Rigby went 3-for-3 in the contest. Anderson went 3-for-4 and scored three times. Herman finished with three strikeouts over 4.1 innings while Anderson struck out four over the final 2.2.
For Dixie, Anderson’s two hits led the team. Bartholomew finished with a lone strikeout over four innings, yielding 12 hits. Dane Thorpe finished the final 2.1 frames, allowing a run on two hits.
Snow Canyon takes on the winner of No. 3 Pine View vs. No. 6 Ridgeline on Tuesday. Dixie will play the loser.
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