Lehi Sports
Falcon baseball makes great tourney run
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
It wasn’t especially elegant, but the underdog No. 7 Skyridge baseball team overcame a poor start in the 6A playoffs to continue advancing clear to the title series, where they came up just a little bit short against the defending champs and heavy favorite, No. 1 American Fork (see separate story).
To get there, the Falcons had to upset No. 2 Mountain Ridge twice as well as defeat a couple of lower-seeded teams. There’s no doubt the caliber of baseball in Region 3 was a factor in their success.
May 13-14: Skyridge outlasts #10 Copper Hills 2-1
In the Super Regional round of the state tournament, the visiting Grizzlies shut out the Falcons in the first game 5-0, but Skyridge bounced back to take the next two contests 4-3, 7-5 to advance to bracket play at BYU.
The first game was scoreless for five innings in a classic pitcher’s duel, but Copper Hills squeezed one run across in the sixth and four in the top of the seventh to get the win.
Senior Greyson Bauer pitched well most of the game but took the loss with junior Nathan Whitehead appearing in relief. Junior outfielder Zayden Bye got two hits and stole two bases.
In the second game, the Grizzlies led for the first three innings, but the Falcons answered with four runs in the bottom half of the third and that held up as both teams were scoreless the rest of the way. Senior Rip Roberts threw a complete-game four-hitter in the win.
No one got more than a single hit, but Skyridge was very aggressive on the bags and stole eight bases. Sophomore Luke Robley and senior outfielder Miles Robinson each provided one RBI.
In the nail-biting tiebreaker, Copper Hills was ahead until the bottom of the fifth, when the Falcons plated four runs to take a slim lead. The game was tied going into the bottom of the seventh, but Skyridge found a way to push two runs across to pocket the win and move on to bracket play.
Senior Tate Young got the start but it was Whitehead who notched the win in relief and junior Will Arbuckle also made an appearance. Robinson almost hit for the cycle with a single, double and triple providing an RBI and two runs.
Bye added a double and triple and two RBI while senior catcher Boston Sundberg singled and doubled with two RBI. Roberts tripled, drove in a run and scored twice. Bauer had a single and triple and crossed once. Robley and junior pinch runner James Peck each added a score.
May 18: Skyridge 11, No. 2 Mountain Ridge 9
The lead changed hands multiple times in this contest, but it was two Falcons runs in the top of the seventh inning and a shutout in the bottom half that determined the victory over the tough Sentinels. Young, Whitehead and Bauer combined for the win on the bump.
Sundberg singled and doubled to drive in four runs, more than covering the winning margin. Robinson had a great night at the plate as well with a double, triple, three RBI and a run scored. Robley added two hits, two RBI and two runs while junior outfielder Mason Omae doubled and drove in two.
May 19: Skyridge 7, No. 11 Corner Canyon 6
The Chargers advanced with an upset win over the No. 3 Knights, but they weren’t able to duplicate the feat against the Falcons. Skyridge was in control most of the way, but Corner Canyon plated three runs in the top of the sixth inning to make the score look closer than the game was.
Roberts nearly went the distance on the mound, with Robley coming on to slam the door shut at the end. Robinson helped lead the offensive effort once again with a single, double and home run for three RBI and an additional run scored.
Senior infielder Brady Lowe scored twice. Robley, Bauer and junior infielder Bo Larson each provided one of the other runs.
May 20: Skyridge 13, No. 2 Mountain Ridge 6
The Sentinels emerged from the one-loss round to challenge the Falcons again for the bracket title and a berth in the final series. However, this time Skyridge left no doubt, scoring three runs in the first inning and five in the second to take control early and continue on for the big win.
Young, sophomore Brady Buttars and Whitehead each threw in the contest. On the other side of the plate, Bye posted a single, double and triple with four RBI and a run scored. Robley singled and tripled for two RBI and scored twice.
Robinson scored three times and also drove one across. Roberts added two RBI and a run, Larson had two hits and two runs, Sundberg had two hits and scored once while Bauer provided one hit and one run. Arbuckle crossed twice as a pinch runner.
