Lehi Sports
Pioneer baseball earns mixed results
The defending state 6A champion Lehi baseball team hasopened the spring campaign with a 4-3 mark in non-region action. Two of the three losses were by a single run.
Mar. 6-8: Pioneers go 3-1 at tourney
The Pioneers got the season started at the B Elite Performance Classic. They lost to Canyon View 6-5 on the first day after trailing for the entire contest. A comeback effort in the seventh fell one run short.
It was pitch by committee as junior Brayden Hansen took the loss with seniors Kade Bailey and Kayden Colledge also makingappearances. Senior Boston Drakulich had a solo home run in the effort.
The next day against Spanish Fork, the Pioneers rallied in the bottom of the fifth and final inning for four runs to beat the Dons 10-7. Senior infielder Mays Madsen singled and doubled for two RBI and scored three times to pace the attack. Drakulich had two base hits, two RBI and two runs.
Later that day, Lehi boarded seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to break open a tied game and went on to the 13-3 victory. Senior pitcher TJ Peterson went the distance and got the win. Mays Madsen had three hits including a triple and home run for three RBI and two runs scored.
Senior infielder Cooper Williams singled and tripled for three RBI and a run, while Drakulich added three hits including a double with three RBI and two runs scored. Junior outfielder Dawson Brown singled and doubled for two RBI and a run. Senior Koy Trane doubled and came across twice.
In the final contest the next day, the Pioneers scored in bunches to blitz Syracuse 14-1. Junior pitcher Sean McAfee picked up the win, yielding three hits and a single run while striking out 11 and walking five. Junior Cole Ybarra went 3-for-4 with two RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases.
Senior catcher Brandon Manookin drove in three runs with two hits. Senior infielder Ozzie Williams singled and doubled for two RBI and scored twice while Trane hit two doubles for an RBI and a run. Brown had a double, two RBI and crossed twice. Mays Madsen drove in a run and scored three times.
Mar. 11: Maple Mountain 11, Lehi 2
On the road, the Pioneers couldn’t put enough together to manufacture many runs against the Golden Eagles. Williams singled and tripled to drive in one run. Ybarra also tripled and scored once. Senior outfielder Gavin Yates made the other run.
Mar. 12: Lehi 18, Juan Diego 5
The Pioneers built an 11-4 lead in the fourth inning but added seven runs in the top of the seventh to earn a runaway victoryover the Soaring Eagle. Peterson got the win with eight strikeouts and four walks in six innings of work. Ybarra threw the final inning in relief.
The team cranked out 12 hits including four home runs among eight total for extra bases. Lehi also tallied 11 stolen bases with Cooper Williams leading in that category with three.
Mays Madsen had two base hits and a homer to drive in five runs and score four himself. Cooper Williams singled, tripled and homered to drive in one and scored three times.
Ybarra added a double and a home run for five RBI and a run scored. Drakulich smacked the other home run, sent two runners across and came in twice as well.
Mar. 21: Orem 4, Lehi 3
The Tigers got all of their runs in the top of the third inning. ThePioneers boarded one in the first for an early lead and added two runs in a comeback effort in the sixth which fell just short.
Brown had two hits including a home run and contributed two RBI plus a run. Drakulich sent another runner across home plate and Ozzie Williams had a double with one score in the narrow loss. Ybarra posted the other run in the contest.
“I feel we have played okay so far but there’s plenty of room for improvement,” said Coach Eric Madsen. “They are still finding their direction. We need to pitch it better as a group and need to be more consistent on defense.
“I think offensively we have been doing pretty well,” the coach added. “We need to eliminate some of the at-bats that aren’t very competitive. They just need to keep getting better.”
