First Week of Timp Colt Tournament Play

Timp Sports Weekly

July 14, 2015

Publisher's Message

I do regret that I have not devoted much coverage to Timp Colt League games as much this summer as I have in past summers. This entire issue, though, is devoted to TCL games played last week. These games were all post-season contests. Two of them were featured the American Fork Marlins, who had the rotten luck of playing the Pleasant Grove Angels, AKA the Fallen Angels. Don't worry, the Marlins came out on top in their game against the Fallen Angels, but that contest still went down as unpleasant experience for the American Fork team, because its PG opponents' behavior. We will expound on that in the story of the Marlin-Fallen Angel game. We will also look at a game between two Pleasant Grove teams who played each other in American Fork. Finally, we'll look at how the American Fork Yankees yanked out a win over the Marlins. Let's get those stories.

Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
magnanovelist@gmail.com

AF Marlins Ground PG Fallen Angels 7-1 in 1st-Round Game of TCL Playoffs
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a first-round Timp Colt League playoff game at American Fork's Rotary Park July 6, the American Fork Marlins defeated the Pleasant Grove Angels, AKA the Fallen Angels, 7-1.

The game opened with Marlin pitcher Trent "Rig" Rigby striking out Fallen Angel Dillon "Squid" Tyler. Caden Caldwell singled off Rigby, and Brody Carr doubled in his fellow Fallen Angels, but got thrown out at third. After Josh "Connor" Lewis grounded out, American Fork proceeded with taking over the lead.

First's lower half opened with Taylor Roper grounding out. Teammate Bridger Oviatt got on base through a walk, and Mitch Evans' two-out double moved him to third. Oviatt soon stole home, and fellow Marlin Dax Phillips, who also played for the Lehi Froggies' baseball team this year, distracted the Fallen Angels through an attempt steal to second, allowing Evans to score a tie-breaking run. Though the Fallen Angels did pinch Phillips for a third out, his work proved to be sufficient enough for the Marlins to stay ahead through the rest of the game.

It grew steadily ugly through frequent, rude protests from Fallen Angel players. In fact, their first pitcher Carr got thrown out of the game, ending his season. The Marlins, on the other hand, continued maintaining their composure. That was seen through their holding the Fallen Angels scoreless for the rest of the game.

The score stayed at 2-1 until the bottom of the third. Its bottom half started with Marlin Ethan Smith doubling into left. Roper singled him in to start off a five-run rally. During it, Roper got thrown out at home while trying to make a steal to it, but Evans soon hit a two-run triple, and stole home after American Fork had loaded the bases on out. By the time the Fallen Angels finally shut down the rally, the Marlins had created a 7-1 lead.

The Fallen Angels made a final comeback attempt in the top of the fourth, but after the Marlins held them scoreless that inning, the Fallen Angels called it quits for the night, even though 10 additional minutes had been put on the game clock.

TCL tournament director Randy Spafford declared the Fallen Angels eliminated completely from the tournament, because of their behavior and use of players who had not been registered with the team.

PG Brewers Boil PG Rockies 12-5 in TCL Tournament Play July 7
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a July 7 Timp Colt League playoff game held at American Fork's Rotary Park, the Pleasant Grove Brewers boiled the the Pleasant Grove Rockies 12-5.

Despite having only eight players -- ones who never ever played for Ferocious Pleasant Grove Viking baseball coach Darren "That's Bush League" Henry --, the Rockies actually led all the way during the game's first 3 1/2 innings. That accomplishment was especially amazing when taken into account that the Brewers had some of Bush League Henry's players on their roster.

The game got off to a nasty start before the opening pitch. An umpire declared Brewer Austin Butler ineligible to play, because of his having played for the Pleasant Grove Fallen Angels the night before in their loss to the American Fork Marlins. Butler's elimination from the game still didn't sap the Brewers of needed talent. They still had plenty of it.

Their player-coach, Logan Bice, for example held the Rockies scoreless after the first inning -- until he got ejected in the third inning. The ejection ended Bice's Colt League career. Under TCL tourney rules, guys ejected from playoff games can't play in any more tournament games.

Anyway, the Rockies made the first inning quit a challenge for Bice. He walked two of the first three Rocky players, and gave up a single to No. 2 hitter Caleb Carr, a "distant cousin" of Hollywood actress Vickie Carr. A Noah Humphries sacrifice fly scored Landon Hymas. Adam "A-Bomb" Rhymer singled in Carr and Brock Albert to put the Rocky lead at 3-0. A "distant cousin" of TV character Bart Simpson, Mitch Simpson doubled into left, but got stock on base.

With Bice's pitching keeping them in check, the Rockies didn't see another teammate of theirs make a hit until the top of the third when Rhymer opened that inning with a single that he swatted into left. Despite Bice's ejection from the game that inning, the Rockies couldn't make any runs in the third.

In the bottom of the second, Keller Atwood registered a single for the first Brewer hit of the game, but the Rockies pinched him in a forceout at second. Pitcher Humphries didn't let the Brewers make any more hits until the bottom of the fourth.

That inning, Humphries walked Hayden Wall and Nash Freeman. On one out, Weston Barnhardt tripled them in. Humphries kept Barnhardt confined to third base.

The fifth opened with Rhymer popping out to reliever Barnhardt. Simpson doubled into right, only to see Barnhard strike out Shawn DeChristifano and Ammon Richardson.

Getting on base through a walk in the bottom of the fifth, Brewer Korby Tanner stole home, setting off a 10-run rally for his time. Doubles by Tristan Makin and Barnhardt fueled the long rally, which saw one-run singles hit by Big Billy Casper, Jody Mayland, and Campbell "Donk" Donkers.

In the top of the sixth, Hymas singled into left, then came home on a Carr double. Brock Albert singled Carr in to cut the lead to 12-5. The Brewers didn't let the Rockies roll closer to them.

AF Yankees Yank Out 8-5 Win Over AF Marlins in TCL Play July 8
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a Timp Colt League tournament game played at American Fork's Rotary Park July 9, the American Fork Yankees yanked out an 8-5 win over the American Fork Marlins in second-round action.

Clean play reigned throughout the game. That was something that had to be appreciated, given the bad behavior that the Pleasant Grove Fallen Angels had shown in their July 6 loss to the Marlins and Pleasant Grove Brewer pitcher Logan Bice's ejection from a playoff contest that ended in a 12-5 win for his team over the Pleasant Grove Rockies July 7.

The July 8 game opened with Marlin Taylor Roper doubling into left. He soon scored on an overthrow past third. That turned out to be the only run that the Yankees let the Marlins pick up. Pitcher Ryan "Rhino" Thompson held the Marlins scoreless during the second and third innings, even though Tucker Elldredge hit a second-inning single off him.

Hitting an infield single in the bottom of the first, Zaxter Cook soon got joined on base by Mikey Hugely. Both Yankees came home on passed balls. Soon, Gunner Lamb chopped a single to move Thomson into scoring position. After Dusty Ferre got on base through a walk, Jeremy Smith doubled in  two runs to fuel a seven-run rally, and he came home on a passed ball. Just before the rally ended, Hugley whacked a one-run double that hinted that the Yankees might pick up a double-digit win. However, Chris Hengly and Chris "Boo Bear" Bowen both struck out.

In the bottom of the second, Lamb chopped a second-straight single, and he moved into scoring position through Smith singling on one out. Smith soon got picked off at third, and Hugely struck out, ending the inning.

Things turned worrisome for the Yankees when they committed two errors let let Roper make it to second base in the third. However, the Yankees prevented those goofs from causing them additional damage.

In the bottom of the third, Hugely hit a two-out single and soon stole home, improving the Yankee lead at 8-1. The Marlins didn't let the Yankees make any more runs after the third.

Getting on base through a walk in the bottom of the fourth, Mitch Evans soon stole home. The ensuing four-run rally forced Thompson to be replaced by Lamb at the mound. The reliever eventually shut the Marlins down for the night, but they still managed to pull within 8-5 on an Ethan Smith double.