Timp Sports Weekly
June 22, 2009
June 22, 2009
Publisher's Message
This week's cover story regards an American Fork Pony League story that could have been a plot for one of the the Bad News Bears movies in the 1970's. We also look at Colt League and Utah Baseball Academy League action during the past week. Let's get to those stories.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
deanmemmott@hotmail.com
Giant-Killing Twins Blast Way Into Championship Showdown with Pirates in AF Pony League Playoffs
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Twins player Andy Maxwell epitomized his American Fork Pony League team in its June 18 playoff game against the Giants, the league's defending champs. Though he struck out three times while at bat on Bus Manning Field, he still slugged a seventh-inning, one-out single that reeled Treven Hendry for a RBI that helped the Twins win 16-7 over the Giants and lift the team to a June 22 showdown with the Pirates for the AFPL playoff pennant.
Twin Coach Brent Bateman said, "We had a rough year. We lost quite a few games, and we finished second to last in the regular season. It was great to see our guys to come back to be able to play in the championship game."
With the Twins having finished so low in regular season standings, it was unfathomable to imagine that they would be able to make it to the June 22 championship series. Yet, they were still in the tradition of the fictional Bad News Bears and the 1989 American Fork Angels, two teams with dismal records that still made it to championship games.
Having lost a game earlier in this year's league tournament, the Twins battled their way through the single-elimination bracket to face off with the Giants for the right to play the Pirates, this year's regular season champs. The Twins never trailed in the June 18 game.
In the top of the first, a Jackson Flood sacrifice groundout scored T.J. Sumner, and Alex Fender singled in Sam Bateman to improve the Twins' lead at 2-0.
Pitcher Hendry held the Giants scoreless during the first three innings. Singling in the top of the third, Flood came home on a passed ball, sparking a six-run rally for the Twins. Sumner contributed a two-run double to the rally.
The next inning's top half saw the Twins load the bases on one out. Though pitcher Brig Murray picked Caleb Clark off at first, Hendry stole home while narrowly beating a throw fired at it.
The Giants finally got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when Sam McGeary tripled in two runs, then came home on a Tanner Neilsen single.
In the fifth, Twin Connor Thomas hit a one-run single to spark a three-run rally. The Giants kept the Twins from putting the game away that inning. The Giants went on to hold the Twins scoreless in the sixth.
The sixth saw Giant Tyler Dutson double in a run and come home on a Kolbey Cordova single to cut the lead to 12-5.
The Twins picked up four insurance runs in the top half of the seventh. Fender singled in Bateman while Hendry whalloped a two-run triple. Though the Giants did put Maxwell out at second after he had singled Hendry in, they found themselves in a losing battle to retain their league title.
Each singling in the bottom of the inning, Neilsen and Rick Elliot each stole home plate, but the Twins quickly shut the Giants down and moved on to get ready for the June 22 championship series, scheduled to be played at Bus Manning.
AF 16-U Team Flatten Orem 18-8 in UBAL Game June 16
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
AKA the Tiggers, the Orem Tigers usually have much of a bounce. However, their 16-under division team couldn't bounce away with a win from the American Fork Cavemen's home diamond during Utah Baseball Academy League action June 17. That was because the Cavemen flatted the Tigers 18-8 during a nine-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Orem sprung onto the scoreboard first in the top of the first. That inning, Orem's Brett Tittle and Nolan Gray both came home on passed balls after pitcher Blake Brailsford had walked them.
The Tigers held the Cavemen scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Brailsford got even by not letting Orem players get on base during the second and third innings. Brailsford's actions allowed the Cavemen to take firm control of the game during those two rounds.
Spurred on by an Orem error in the bottom of the second, Cade Hill singled in Jeremy Reynolds to spark a seven-run rally for the Cavemen. The next inning, Caveman Taylor Frost hit a left-field single to advance J.D. Evans into scoring position. Evans soon stole home, improving American Fork's lead at 8-2.
The Tigers proved in the fourth that they could still bounce back into the game. In the top of that inning, Dave Mella and Sammy Wright each singled in a run. Wright also scored on an error that occurred seconds after Mella's one-run single.
With Orem now within 8-5, the Cavemen attempted to rebuild their big lead. Even though American Fork loaded the bases on two outs in the bottom of the fourth, they couldn't make any more runs that inning after a Frost walk had scored Tyson Heaps.
Orem kept American Fork's lead stuck at 9-5 in the fifth. The next inning, the Tigers bounced really close to tying the game. In the sixth's top half, Wright hit a two-run double, then came home on a Ty Denning single to cut the lead 9-8.
American Fork Coach Andy Lewis said, "Our bats fell asleep in the fifth, but they came awake in the sixth and came through for us."
Hit into left during the sixth's lower half, a Heaps triple tipped the momentum back into American Fork's favor. Reynolds singled in Heaps to start the decisive rally. It climaxed with Evans hitting a three-run double that ended the game.
PG Angels Fly Away With 10-5 Win Over AF Dodgers In Colt League Play
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In an American Fork-Pleasant Grove Colt League game at American Fork's Rotary Park June 17, the Pleasant Grove Angels flew away with a 10-5 win over the American Fork Dodgers.
Spurred on by Riley Smith double, the Angels grabbed a 7-4 lead over American Fork during the first three innings. In the bottom of the third, the Dodgers scored two runs on a Pleasant Grove error, and Cam Buck came home on a passed ball to put American Fork within 7-4.
Two American Fork errors permitted the Angels to pick up two runs in the fourth. American Fork loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, and Dodger Janzen Frampton came home on a passed ball. That was the last American Fork run that Pleasant Grove allowed to occur.
Juan Diego Pitcher Uses The Force Effectively Against PG In 17-U Division Game June 19
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In watching the Juan Diego Soaring Eagles win 9-2 over the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings' 17-under team in Utah Baseball Academy League action in Draper June 19, spectators could not help but want to rename the home team pitcher Luke Skywalker.
Acting like a Jedi Knight using the Force, pitcher Luke West struck out 10 Pleasant Grove batters and didn't let the Ferocious Vikings score any runs until the fifth inning. West's performance at the mound allowed the Soaring Eagles to build up a 5-0 lead in the first four innings.
After West had posted three strikeouts in the top of the first, the inning's lower half saw A.J. Begay hit a one-run single that spark a three-run rally for the Soaring Eagles. Hitting a one-out double in the second's lower half, Brock Garn came home on a Viking error at first. In the third, Begay slugged another one-run single, only to become ensnared in a Viking double play that ended the inning.
The Vikings finally got a hit in the fourth when Calder "Blue" Bonnett hit an infield single at the start of the inning. Bonnett got thrown out in a fielder's choice play, and the Vikings had to wait until the fifth to get onto the scoreboard. Hitting right-field single at the start of the fifth, Stevie Rockhill soon scored the Vikings' first run during an error at third.
In the sixth's top half, Pleasant Grove's Jordan King and Keaton Secretan each slugged a single, but the Soaring Eagle defense made them become stranded on base.
In the bottom of the sixth, Soaring Eagles Frankie Sutera singled and Mitch Moncur doubled, setting the stage for destructive work carried out by Garn. He doubled in Sutera and Moncur. Garn then came home on a passed ball, concluding Juan Diego scoring for the night.
Hitting a seventh-inning single into left, Viking Bo Caldwell soon moved into scoring position on a Rockhill single. Caldwell then raced home on a passed ball during two outs. Shortstop Garn grounded out Terry Cardon to shut down Pleasant Grove's remaining chances for rallying back.
AF Cavebatters Fall to Las Vegas Longhorns at Bruin Classic
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
The American Fork Cavemen got eliminated 7-6 by the Las Vegas Longhorns in a semifinal game of the Bruin Classic, played June 20 at Salt Lake Community College's Cate Field in West Jordan.
American Fork Coach Jarod Ingersoll said, "Our guys have a great commitment level this year than they did this year. More of them are making the decision to show up at our games more often. Colton Dunn and Jeremy Reynolds played really good in the tournament. Dunn today went 2-3 at the plate, and Reynolds played really good defense.
"We had won our pool play to earn the right to be the championship bracket. We posted a 2-1 record in our pool, losing only to Kearns. We shot ourselves in the foot in the Kearns game, because we blew a four-run lead in the final inning. The teams we did beat in pool play were Uintah and the Utah Elite."
In the5-3 win against Utah Elite, Jake Blackhurst hit a double for the Cavemen while Taylor Tonks slugged two singles.
The Las Vegas team that American Fork took on in the June 2o game was an American Legion outfit. The Longhorns' pitcher, Jim Allen, held the Cavemen scoreless in the second, third, fifth, and sixth. Allen's handiwork permitted Las Vegas to stay ahead for the entire game.
In the top of the first, shortstop Reynolds grounded out leadoff batter Chase Skinner. Pitcher Dunn walked Speedy Ortiz and gave up a single to Austin Christensen. Seconds after American Fork had nailed Ortiz in a fielder's choice play at home, Zach Monticelli hit a one-run double, and Joey Lauria singled in two runs.
With Jake Blackhurst getting on base through an error in the bottom of the first, Ben Beddes tripled him in. Pierce Skinner's one-run single in the second improved the Longhorns' lead at 4-1. It grew to 5-1 in the fourth through Ty Thurston's scoring on a sacrifice groundout.
On two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Dunn singled in Reynolds and Ryan Draper. Dunn got stranded on base.
Las Vegas loaded the bases on one out in the sixth, and after a Pierce Skinner walk had scored a run, Ryan Hall took over pitching duties for American Fork. First baseman Dunn turned up a double play to prevent a long Longhorn rally.
For the seventh, Longhorn Don Glover singled into center, and Monticelli batted him in for the final Las Vegas run.
Singles from Dunn and Colton Whatcott spark a rally for the Cavemen in the bottom of the seventh. As soon as an Aaron Hill walk had loaded the bases, Las Vegas pulled Allen and had Monticelli pitch. The pitching change didn't stop a American Fork rally. Hall singled in Dunn to begin the rally. After a Blackhurst sacrifice fly had scored Whatcott, Hall came home on a passed ball. Monticelli struck out Ben Beddes to end the game.
In Utah Baseball Academy League action at Riverton June 19, the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA Silverpups, defeated the Cavemen 5-4 in an eight-inning affair. American Fork took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, but the Sivlerpups pulled ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the inning. Dunn scored sixth-inning run to force the game into an eighth inning.
During the loss at Riverton, Reynolds hit a double while Hall and Dunn each slugged two singles.
This week's cover story regards an American Fork Pony League story that could have been a plot for one of the the Bad News Bears movies in the 1970's. We also look at Colt League and Utah Baseball Academy League action during the past week. Let's get to those stories.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
deanmemmott@hotmail.com
Giant-Killing Twins Blast Way Into Championship Showdown with Pirates in AF Pony League Playoffs
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Twins player Andy Maxwell epitomized his American Fork Pony League team in its June 18 playoff game against the Giants, the league's defending champs. Though he struck out three times while at bat on Bus Manning Field, he still slugged a seventh-inning, one-out single that reeled Treven Hendry for a RBI that helped the Twins win 16-7 over the Giants and lift the team to a June 22 showdown with the Pirates for the AFPL playoff pennant.
Twin Coach Brent Bateman said, "We had a rough year. We lost quite a few games, and we finished second to last in the regular season. It was great to see our guys to come back to be able to play in the championship game."
With the Twins having finished so low in regular season standings, it was unfathomable to imagine that they would be able to make it to the June 22 championship series. Yet, they were still in the tradition of the fictional Bad News Bears and the 1989 American Fork Angels, two teams with dismal records that still made it to championship games.
Having lost a game earlier in this year's league tournament, the Twins battled their way through the single-elimination bracket to face off with the Giants for the right to play the Pirates, this year's regular season champs. The Twins never trailed in the June 18 game.
In the top of the first, a Jackson Flood sacrifice groundout scored T.J. Sumner, and Alex Fender singled in Sam Bateman to improve the Twins' lead at 2-0.
Pitcher Hendry held the Giants scoreless during the first three innings. Singling in the top of the third, Flood came home on a passed ball, sparking a six-run rally for the Twins. Sumner contributed a two-run double to the rally.
The next inning's top half saw the Twins load the bases on one out. Though pitcher Brig Murray picked Caleb Clark off at first, Hendry stole home while narrowly beating a throw fired at it.
The Giants finally got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when Sam McGeary tripled in two runs, then came home on a Tanner Neilsen single.
In the fifth, Twin Connor Thomas hit a one-run single to spark a three-run rally. The Giants kept the Twins from putting the game away that inning. The Giants went on to hold the Twins scoreless in the sixth.
The sixth saw Giant Tyler Dutson double in a run and come home on a Kolbey Cordova single to cut the lead to 12-5.
The Twins picked up four insurance runs in the top half of the seventh. Fender singled in Bateman while Hendry whalloped a two-run triple. Though the Giants did put Maxwell out at second after he had singled Hendry in, they found themselves in a losing battle to retain their league title.
Each singling in the bottom of the inning, Neilsen and Rick Elliot each stole home plate, but the Twins quickly shut the Giants down and moved on to get ready for the June 22 championship series, scheduled to be played at Bus Manning.
AF 16-U Team Flatten Orem 18-8 in UBAL Game June 16
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
AKA the Tiggers, the Orem Tigers usually have much of a bounce. However, their 16-under division team couldn't bounce away with a win from the American Fork Cavemen's home diamond during Utah Baseball Academy League action June 17. That was because the Cavemen flatted the Tigers 18-8 during a nine-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Orem sprung onto the scoreboard first in the top of the first. That inning, Orem's Brett Tittle and Nolan Gray both came home on passed balls after pitcher Blake Brailsford had walked them.
The Tigers held the Cavemen scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Brailsford got even by not letting Orem players get on base during the second and third innings. Brailsford's actions allowed the Cavemen to take firm control of the game during those two rounds.
Spurred on by an Orem error in the bottom of the second, Cade Hill singled in Jeremy Reynolds to spark a seven-run rally for the Cavemen. The next inning, Caveman Taylor Frost hit a left-field single to advance J.D. Evans into scoring position. Evans soon stole home, improving American Fork's lead at 8-2.
The Tigers proved in the fourth that they could still bounce back into the game. In the top of that inning, Dave Mella and Sammy Wright each singled in a run. Wright also scored on an error that occurred seconds after Mella's one-run single.
With Orem now within 8-5, the Cavemen attempted to rebuild their big lead. Even though American Fork loaded the bases on two outs in the bottom of the fourth, they couldn't make any more runs that inning after a Frost walk had scored Tyson Heaps.
Orem kept American Fork's lead stuck at 9-5 in the fifth. The next inning, the Tigers bounced really close to tying the game. In the sixth's top half, Wright hit a two-run double, then came home on a Ty Denning single to cut the lead 9-8.
American Fork Coach Andy Lewis said, "Our bats fell asleep in the fifth, but they came awake in the sixth and came through for us."
Hit into left during the sixth's lower half, a Heaps triple tipped the momentum back into American Fork's favor. Reynolds singled in Heaps to start the decisive rally. It climaxed with Evans hitting a three-run double that ended the game.
PG Angels Fly Away With 10-5 Win Over AF Dodgers In Colt League Play
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In an American Fork-Pleasant Grove Colt League game at American Fork's Rotary Park June 17, the Pleasant Grove Angels flew away with a 10-5 win over the American Fork Dodgers.
Spurred on by Riley Smith double, the Angels grabbed a 7-4 lead over American Fork during the first three innings. In the bottom of the third, the Dodgers scored two runs on a Pleasant Grove error, and Cam Buck came home on a passed ball to put American Fork within 7-4.
Two American Fork errors permitted the Angels to pick up two runs in the fourth. American Fork loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, and Dodger Janzen Frampton came home on a passed ball. That was the last American Fork run that Pleasant Grove allowed to occur.
Juan Diego Pitcher Uses The Force Effectively Against PG In 17-U Division Game June 19
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In watching the Juan Diego Soaring Eagles win 9-2 over the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings' 17-under team in Utah Baseball Academy League action in Draper June 19, spectators could not help but want to rename the home team pitcher Luke Skywalker.
Acting like a Jedi Knight using the Force, pitcher Luke West struck out 10 Pleasant Grove batters and didn't let the Ferocious Vikings score any runs until the fifth inning. West's performance at the mound allowed the Soaring Eagles to build up a 5-0 lead in the first four innings.
After West had posted three strikeouts in the top of the first, the inning's lower half saw A.J. Begay hit a one-run single that spark a three-run rally for the Soaring Eagles. Hitting a one-out double in the second's lower half, Brock Garn came home on a Viking error at first. In the third, Begay slugged another one-run single, only to become ensnared in a Viking double play that ended the inning.
The Vikings finally got a hit in the fourth when Calder "Blue" Bonnett hit an infield single at the start of the inning. Bonnett got thrown out in a fielder's choice play, and the Vikings had to wait until the fifth to get onto the scoreboard. Hitting right-field single at the start of the fifth, Stevie Rockhill soon scored the Vikings' first run during an error at third.
In the sixth's top half, Pleasant Grove's Jordan King and Keaton Secretan each slugged a single, but the Soaring Eagle defense made them become stranded on base.
In the bottom of the sixth, Soaring Eagles Frankie Sutera singled and Mitch Moncur doubled, setting the stage for destructive work carried out by Garn. He doubled in Sutera and Moncur. Garn then came home on a passed ball, concluding Juan Diego scoring for the night.
Hitting a seventh-inning single into left, Viking Bo Caldwell soon moved into scoring position on a Rockhill single. Caldwell then raced home on a passed ball during two outs. Shortstop Garn grounded out Terry Cardon to shut down Pleasant Grove's remaining chances for rallying back.
AF Cavebatters Fall to Las Vegas Longhorns at Bruin Classic
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
The American Fork Cavemen got eliminated 7-6 by the Las Vegas Longhorns in a semifinal game of the Bruin Classic, played June 20 at Salt Lake Community College's Cate Field in West Jordan.
American Fork Coach Jarod Ingersoll said, "Our guys have a great commitment level this year than they did this year. More of them are making the decision to show up at our games more often. Colton Dunn and Jeremy Reynolds played really good in the tournament. Dunn today went 2-3 at the plate, and Reynolds played really good defense.
"We had won our pool play to earn the right to be the championship bracket. We posted a 2-1 record in our pool, losing only to Kearns. We shot ourselves in the foot in the Kearns game, because we blew a four-run lead in the final inning. The teams we did beat in pool play were Uintah and the Utah Elite."
In the5-3 win against Utah Elite, Jake Blackhurst hit a double for the Cavemen while Taylor Tonks slugged two singles.
The Las Vegas team that American Fork took on in the June 2o game was an American Legion outfit. The Longhorns' pitcher, Jim Allen, held the Cavemen scoreless in the second, third, fifth, and sixth. Allen's handiwork permitted Las Vegas to stay ahead for the entire game.
In the top of the first, shortstop Reynolds grounded out leadoff batter Chase Skinner. Pitcher Dunn walked Speedy Ortiz and gave up a single to Austin Christensen. Seconds after American Fork had nailed Ortiz in a fielder's choice play at home, Zach Monticelli hit a one-run double, and Joey Lauria singled in two runs.
With Jake Blackhurst getting on base through an error in the bottom of the first, Ben Beddes tripled him in. Pierce Skinner's one-run single in the second improved the Longhorns' lead at 4-1. It grew to 5-1 in the fourth through Ty Thurston's scoring on a sacrifice groundout.
On two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Dunn singled in Reynolds and Ryan Draper. Dunn got stranded on base.
Las Vegas loaded the bases on one out in the sixth, and after a Pierce Skinner walk had scored a run, Ryan Hall took over pitching duties for American Fork. First baseman Dunn turned up a double play to prevent a long Longhorn rally.
For the seventh, Longhorn Don Glover singled into center, and Monticelli batted him in for the final Las Vegas run.
Singles from Dunn and Colton Whatcott spark a rally for the Cavemen in the bottom of the seventh. As soon as an Aaron Hill walk had loaded the bases, Las Vegas pulled Allen and had Monticelli pitch. The pitching change didn't stop a American Fork rally. Hall singled in Dunn to begin the rally. After a Blackhurst sacrifice fly had scored Whatcott, Hall came home on a passed ball. Monticelli struck out Ben Beddes to end the game.
In Utah Baseball Academy League action at Riverton June 19, the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA Silverpups, defeated the Cavemen 5-4 in an eight-inning affair. American Fork took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, but the Sivlerpups pulled ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the inning. Dunn scored sixth-inning run to force the game into an eighth inning.
During the loss at Riverton, Reynolds hit a double while Hall and Dunn each slugged two singles.
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