May 18, 2010
Publisher's Message
For this week's issue, we look at how the Lehi Pioneers fared in the first two rounds of the state playoffs for the 4-A baseball, softball, and soccer championships. For Lehi, the stories of the first week of the Pioneers' state playoff experience ended for them on a happy note -- or the Lehites would say -- a hoppy note. That was why the Pioneers had much to croak about last week. Let's plunge into those stories.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
deanmemmott@hotmail.com
Stansbury Ponies Gallop Away With 13-7 Win Over Pioneers
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
AKA the Ponies, the Stansbury Stallions galloped away home with a 13-7 win that they posted on the Lehi Pioneers' baseball diamond during first-round state baseball action May 10.
Now during the first four innings, Lehi stayed ahead of the Ponies. The Pioneers staged a three-run rally in the bottom of first. However, Stansbury pitcher Taylor Hunt held the Pioneers scoreless during second and third innings. This allowed the Ponies to charge back within 3-2 via scoring a run in both the second and third innings.
After Lehi held Stansbury scoreless in the top of the fourth, Pioneer T.J. Russon doubled into center during the inning's lower half, and Palmer Page homered him in. That two-run shot should have gave Lehi the momentum to row way ahead of the Ponies. However, the game took a shocking direction for the Pioneers in the fifth's top half.
Getting on base through a walk that inning, Pony Jake Wittoski got advanced into scoring position by a Chris Pitts single. It caused Caden Longman to be sent in as a relief pitcher. Seeing a Longman wild pitcher, Wittoski came home. Despite Pitts getting thrown out in a forced play at home, Wittoski's run paved the way fore a long, Pony rally. Clint Peterson got it going full-steam through homering in Colt Barkdull, who had singled into center. A Hunt single and a Cody Young double made Lehi's situation further alarming. Bo Leava singled Hunt and Young in to put the Ponies ahead 7-5. Bo Leva singled in two runs, and Wittoski doubled in another two Ponies to enable Stansbury to take a 9-5 lead into the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Barkdull hit a solo homer over the left-field fence, and Hunt retired two Pioneers in the bottom of the inning to keep Lehi scoreless.
Branden Walker's hitting a one-out double in the top of the seventh set the stage for a final Pony rally. As soon as Mate Culluer got on base through a walk, Wittoski homered him and Walker in to conclude Stansbury scoring for the afternoon.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lehi loaded the bases on one out. Trevor Jeppson singled Bronson Anderson in, only to get pinched in a fielder's choice play as Rem Worthen scored. Reliever Walker snatched a Tyson Bringhurst pop fly to win the game for the Ponies.
Pioneer Softball Team Scalps Bountiful, Exorcises Springville To Win Trip to Final 12
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Playing the first two rounds of the state 4-A softball tournament at their place last week, the Lehi Pioneers scalped the Bountiful Braves, AKA the Bravettes, 2-1 on May 12 and exorcised the Springville Red Devils, AKA the Hellions, 1-0 May 13.
In the Bountiful game, the Bravettes scored the first run when Heather Stucki singled in Kelsey Simmonds. For the bottom of the inning, Annie Nielsen singled in Aly White to tie the game at one. In the third's lower half, Briana McBride doubled in Kellie Jo Jenkins.
The rest of the game went down as a defensive battle, even though White hit a sixth-inning double, only to get caught stealing third. The game ended with pitcher Ariel Zimmerman grounding out Bobbie Hugoe, then striking out Justine Ethington and Carly Poth.
Zimmerman struck out 11 Bravette batters for the afternoon.
Lehi Coach Leslie Warr said, "Ariel averages 11 or 12 strikeouts a game. She's had 18 strikeouts during one game this season. She had three pickoffs today.
"Bountiful comes from a very strong region. They execute plays we. I saw the trick play that Bountiful used to get Aly in the sixth. They use it when they want an opponent thinking that she will be able to steal to third.
"We had nice doubles from Aly and Briana. Those hits helped us a lot, especially Briana's.
"This win will set us up for another game against Springville. When we played them last week, we beat them 3-0. Ariel pitched her best game that day. We heard Springville batters say, 'That ball is moving around our backs.'"
Zimmerman frustrated Springville again in the May 13 rematch when she struck out nine Hellions. Lehi scored the day's only run during the bottom of the first.
Lehi Kickers Hop Past East High Alley Cat 3-2 in Overtime, Melt Away Snow Canyon 2-1
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In an octafinal game for the State 4-A boys' soccer playoffs, the Lehi Pioneers hopped from behind to win 3-2 over the East High Lepoards, AKA the Alley Cats, May 12.
During the entire first half, Alley Cat goalie Mikey Peine didn't let any Pioneer shot slip past him despite a great aggressive effort from Lehi. Ben Prisendorf, Ian Ramos, and Andy Lifirth keep leading strong attacks on East's center and wings. However, Alley Cats such as Gray "Graham Cracker" Turner, Spencer Ford, and Andy Lash would often steal the ball and conduct deep penetrations of Lehi's territory.
The Alley Cats spend most of the first period's final 20 minutes on the Lehi side of the field. This fact presented worries that East would get onto the scoreboard first before the Pioneers could. A valiant Pioneer defense kept the Alley Cats from punching a shot in -- until the last two minutes. Lehi drew a foul inside its penalty box. Lash scored through making a successful penalty kick.
For most of in the second period's first 14 minutes, Lehi stayed on the offensive. The Pioneers' scoring efforts turned out to be vain as Peine kept the ball from rolling across the goal line. Also, Lehi became afflicted with frustrating moments such as one that show the Pioneers miss two shots on goal within seconds of each other. Midway through the second half, the Alley Cats snatched the momentum. Turner scored the second East goal during a ferocious battle for the ball inside the Pioneer penalty box.
That shot didn't go unanswered for long. Two minutes later, Ramos scored a goal from 40 yards out. The score then stayed at 2-1. As the game's final 16 minutes wound down, a dinner which the Pioneers had shared a team earlier in the evening started looking as though it would be the last meal that they would have together this season. In the last minute of the game's regulation portion, Pioneer Braden Sorenson scored a goal to force an overtime.
Lehi goalie Riley Anderson didn't let any East shots get past him in the overtime phase. Ramos said, "Their goalie went out of the penalty to get the ball, but Spencer Gray outmaneuvered him through dribbling in a curved pattern. Spencer then kicked the goal in to win it for us. "
"i kicked the goal from 10 yards out," Gray said.
"That was our a third golden goal this year," declared Lehi Coach Jerry Prisendorf. "The other two overtime games that we won this year were at Timpanogos and Mountain View.
"We worked hard on possessing the ball longer than East could. If we can out-possess a team, we can usually win. The key is making enough dangerous balls in the game.
"Ian Ramos is the catalyst for our team. If he plays really good, our game can really click for us."
"That goal I made tonight gave us the confidence that we needed for pulling this one out," Ramos said.
In the aftermath of their win over East, the Pioneers earned a berth in the state 4-A semifinals by melting away the Snow Canyon Warriors, AKA the Flakies, in a quarterfinal game May 14.
Pioneer Baseball Team Stings Box Elder Drones To Earn Right To Play in Final 12
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
The Lehi Pioneers rebounded from their May 11 heartbreaking loss to the Stansbury Stallions, AKA the Ponies, by stinging the Box Elder Bees 7-6 in a second-round state 4-A baseball game Lehi May 13.
A solo homer, hit by Hunter Balmer, put the Drones on the scoreboard first in the opening inning. Lehi eventually secured a 4-3 lead during the first four innings.
The fifth inning looked as though it was going to be a repeat what what the Pioneers had endured in Inning 5 of the Stansbury game. On one out in the top of the fifth, Drone Kyle King doubled in center, and Taylor Hadfield homered him in put Box Elder ahead 5-4. Balmer and Ethan Jones each singled off Caden Longman. After Lehi forced Balmer out during an attempt steal to third, Longman struck out Jesse Gullion.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trevor Jeppson singled into left, and then scored on an error. With Dakota Longman hitting into a double play, Lehi's chances of breaking the 5-5 tie vanished that inning.
Lehi and Box Elder held each other scoreless in the sixth. The next inning opened with Taylor Hadfield hitting what promised to be a home run. However, a strong breeze knocked the fly ball off course into foul territory. That setback led to Hadfield striking out. Balmer doubled into left, and a Jones double reeled him in for a tie-breaking run. Caden Longman didn't let the Drones score any more runs.
Lehi's situation became very alarming in the bottom of the seventh when the Pioneers' first batters for that round got out. Cody Hickman gave Lehi's season new hope of lasting longer when he singled into left. Dakota Longman homered him in, earning Lehi a trip to the Final 12, set to be played this week at Kearns High.
"I just swung," Dakota Longman said. "That home run is my most favorite hit so far."
"It was the biggest hit of his life," said Lehi Coach Jason Flinders. "This is the best moment for Lehi in the last few years. None of these kids have been to a state tournament before. It's absolutely great for them to finally experience playing in one. These kids, Dean, had opportunities to give up today. They didn't want to do that, though. We competed well enough to earn the right to play at Kearns next week."
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