Lehi Sports
Lehi baseball in Region 3 logjam
With two teams left to play in ultracompetitive Region 3, the Lehi High School baseball team (11-8) finds itself in a four-way battle for second place with Lone Peak (11-8), Skyridge (11-7) and Pleasant Grove (10-9), all of whom have 5-4 records in league play coming into this week.
The Pioneers opened region play with a three-game series against state No. 1 American Fork (13-6), which is alone in first place in the league with a 7-2 mark. They stole one game from the Cavemen, swept the Knights and topped the Vikings once.
They play three games with the Falcons this week in a series that is critical for both squads. Lehi will then finish the regular season with Westlake.
April 9: American Fork 13, Lehi 8
The teams combined for 29 hits in their region opener at American Fork. The score was tied 7-7 after the Pioneers scored four runs in the fourth inning, but the Cavemen got six more and Lehi just one the rest of the way.
Senior leftie Caleb Crutchfield, sophomore Taygen Stephensenand senior Trey Hawkins each pitched two innings, but Stephensen took the loss.
On the other side of the plate, junior Boston Drakulich tripled twice, drove in two runs and scored two. Junior catcher Brandon Manookin was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while junior shortstop Mays Madsen went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
April 10: Lehi 6, American Fork 5
The next day back at home, the Pioneers were trailing 3-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning but managed to push three runs across after holding the Cavemen scoreless in their final three batting turns to earn the exciting win.
Senior pitcher Carson Colledge got the tally by yielding just two hits in those last three innings. Senior Landyn Fullmer was the starter. Madsen singled and doubled and drove in two runs while Drakulich hit a two-run homer. Junior third baseman Cooper Williams singled in the other run.
April 12: American Fork 15, Lehi 4
The Pioneers hit well back at American Fork but had trouble pushing runners across. The Cavemen plated 11 in the first two innings and that proved to be too steep a hill to climb. Five pitchers took the mound for Lehi, walking no one but managingjust a single strikeout between them.
Junior outfielder Gavin Yates, Drakulich, junior pitcher TJ Peterson and junior infielder Ozzie Williams each drove in a run for the visitors.
The Pioneers broke a tie with the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh inning. Stephenson gave up just one run in five innings of work but Madsen got the win by retiring the final Knight batter. Junior Kade Bailey and Hawkins also threw in relief.
Madsen had two singles, drove in a run and crossed the plate once as well. Senior first baseman Tanner Heaps also had an RBI. Cooper Williams and Ozzie Williams scored the other runs.
April 17: Lehi 12, Lone Peak 8 (8)
Back in Highland, the Knights trailed 4-8 entering the bottom of the seventh inning but got four runs across to tie the score and force an extra inning. The Pioneers took care of business with four runs in their turn and then held Lone Peak scoreless in the bottom half of the eighth to pocket the win.
Junior Kowen Walker threw most of the game and had six strikeouts with one walk. Madsen got the win and Colledge also appeared in relief.
Ozzie Williams went 3-for-4, drove in a run and scored three times. Madsen singled and doubled for two RBI and two runs. Manookin singled and homered for three RBI. Drakulich added a double, three RBI and a run scored. Yates had two hits and three runs while Cooper Williams doubled with two RBI.
April 19: Lehi 12, Lone Peak 6
The Pioneers got all the runs they would need by sending eight across in their first batting turn and holding on for the victory. Crutchfield fanned nine against just one walk in five innings and Hawkins closed out the game.
Manookin had a big afternoon with the bat, making three hits including a double and homer for five RBI. Drakulich had a double with two RBI and a run scored while Cooper Williams singled twice for an RBI and scored three times. Madsen tallied an RBI and two runs scored.
April 23: Pleasant Grove 10, Lehi 2
The Pioneers just couldn’t put their offense together to produce runs even though they had seven hits in this contest. They only gave up runs in two innings, but it was in bunches with four in the fourth and six in the sixth. Lehi got their two runs in the fifth.
Stephensen took the loss with five strikeouts against a walk and six hits. Bailey, Hawkins and sophomore Cole Ybarra also made appearances. Yates drove in Peterson after he doubled aboard and scored the other run himself.
April 24: Lehi 7, Pleasant Grove 1
The Pioneers bounced back with a solid win on the road. They got all the runs they would need with two in the top of the first but added three in the third and two in the sixth to cement the victory. Walker got the win and College was the closer.
Ozzie Williams had three hits and scored twice while Heaps had three hits and an RBI. Peterson had a double, two RBI and a run scored. Cooper Williams added two singles and two RBI and Madsen launched a triple.
April 25: Pleasant Grove 7, Lehi 2
The Vikings broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth and added two more in the seventh to close out the rubber match of the series. Crutchfield struck out seven and walked none but took the loss. Bailey finished the game in relief.
Cooper Williams singled and doubled, drove in Drakulich and later scored himself on a hit by sophomore utility fielder Dawson Brown.
April 27: Lehi 3, Snow Canyon 1
The Warriors (20-5) are the top-ranked team in Class 4A and beat the Pioneers twice in an early-season tournament, but this time Lehi got revenge with a taut victory at Juan Diego High School in Draper.
The Pioneers took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Snow Canyon matched that in the top of the second, but Lehi plated one more run each in the second and fourth to secure the satisfying win. Peterson threw a five hitter for his complete game.
Cooper Williams scored two runs while Madsen singled twice and made one run. Heaps, Brown and Manookin with a double provided one RBI apiece.
