Awesome AF Caveman-Riverton Silverpup JV Baseball Doubleheader

Timp Sports Weekly

April 22, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at a junior varsity baseball doubleheader that the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, hosted against my Awesome American Fork Cavemen on April 21. The twin bill came in the aftermath of the Silverpups besting the Awesome Cavemen 2-1 in a three-game varsity series. Let's get to the story about the doubleheader.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovellist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Cavebatters Split a JV Doubleheader at Riverton April 21

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a junior varsity baseball doubleheader played at Riverton April 19, the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, defeated the Awesome American Fork Cavemen 6-5 in the first game. However, the second game saw American Fork outlasting the Silverpups 5-4.

Game 1 opened with Awesome Caveman Hagen "Speedster" Holmstead singling into right. Shortstop Grave Stone Gibbons tagged Holmstead in a fielder's choice play at second, but a Dallin Searle single moved Seth "Needles' Taylor into scoring position. A Ty "Guard Dog" Gardner sacrifice groundout scored Taylor. After pitcher Mason "The Builder" Morris grounded out Hayden "Chief" Wood, the Awesome Cavemen's 1-0 lead quickly became a thing of the past.

In the bottom of the first, Morris singled into right. Second baseman Holmstead grounded out both Cody "Jonsey" Jones and Cash "Big Dough" Westerkamp in hopes of keeping American Fork's 1-0 lead intact. Nevertheless, Landon "Mic" McMorris singled Morris in to end the game at one. A Bubba White single gave Silverpup fans hope that their team could howl ahead 2-1 in the first inning. However, shortstop Mic Madsen shocked them by grounding out Kaden Wilson to end the first inning.

American Fork got a single from Sir Turner Knight in the second and one from Taylor in the third in hopes of pulling out in front. However, Morris held the Awesome Cavemen scoreless in both of those innings. In the meantime, the game took a bad turn for American Fork. Pitcher Wood prevented the Silverpups from going anywhere with a Trace "Amazing Grace" Jacobson single in the second, they still capitalized on two American Fork errors in the third to snatch the momentum. The two errors quickly led to Westerkamp singling in Morris. McMorris doubled in Westerkamp, and he then came home on a Kaden "Senor" Wilson single to put the Silverpup lead at 4-1. 

The top of the fourth opened with Morris snatching a Gardner pop fly. Despite that setback from American Fork, Wood still tripled into left, and Jake Norton, a nephew of Lone Peak Loner hoop legend Lana Sitterud, singled Chief in. After Sir Turner got on base through an error, Mason struck out Colby "Coba" Willis. Third baseman Wilson then tagged Norton in a fielder's choice play to retire American Fork to the field.

In the bottom of the fourth, Jake "Silver Snake" Barlow belted a one-out single into right, and on two outs, Morris singled him in.

American Fork came really close to tying the game at five during the top of the fifth. Aided by a Searle, one-out single and two walks, the Awesome Cavemen loaded the bases. Gardner singled in Mason Warenski and Taylor to cut the lead to 5-4. With a two-out, Norton single moving Gardner to second base, the Silverpups had Eric Nelson replace Morris at the mound. The reliever struck out Sir Turner before American Fork could tie the game.

During the bottom of the fifth, Justin DeMarco, a grandnephew of my former schoolmate Ken DeMarco, took over pitching duties for American Fork. The reliever grounded out two batters, but he couldn't hold the Silverpups scoreless in the fifth. Doubling off DeMarco, McMorris got singled in by Wilson. DeMarco did hold the Silverpups scoreless in the bottom of the sixth.

Sixth-inning singles from Willis and Madsen enabled American Fork to load the bases on one out when  Nelson accidently beaned Buster "Bunny" Hardman. A Taylor walk scored Willis. However, Searle flew out to center fielder Jacobson, and Nelson grounded out Gardner.

Pitching in the seventh, Wilson struck out Wood, but catcher Westerkamp's strong arm saved the game for the Silverpups. The catcher's throws to first baseman White and second baseman Barlow got Norton and Knight out, clinching Game 1 for the Silverpups.

The second game saw both teams unable to score during the first two innings. American Fork did appear in the second that it would get on the board first when Norton slugged a single. However, the Silverpups slugged the Awesome Cavemen with a double play.

In the top of the third, Madsen clubbed a one-out double into center, and he then scored on an error that let Mason Warsenski dash to second. Warenski soon stole home.

Pitcher Norton held the Silverpups scoreless until the bottom of the third. It saw Silverpup Drake Downs single into left and then come home on a Ryan Kesler sacrifice fly.

The score stayed at 2-1, American Fork, until the seventh. The game almost tipped to the Silverpups' favor in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases on one out.  However, after Cade Palmer struck out, Nelson got tagged in a fielder's choice play at third, ending the inning before the Silverpups could score.

In the top of the seventh, a Road Runner Morris sacrifice groundout scored Taylor to start off a rally for the Awesome Cavemen. Norton singled in Searle and stole home to improve American Fork's lead at 5-1. With A.J. Jones striking out, the seventh inning became very stressful for the Awesome Cavemen.

The seventh's lower half opened with A.J. Tebbs, a nephew of former Bingham Picker basketball standout K.C. Tebbs, singling into left. A throw from first baseman DeMarco to Holmstead pinched Tebbs. The Silverpups didn't let that fielder's choice play prevent them from loading the bases on two outs. Connor Hall hit a three-run double that presented Riverton a chance for pushing the game into extra innings. However, American Fork pinched him in a fielder's choice play at third to end the game.

American Fork jayvee coach Jay Holmstead said, "Our guys showed up in the first game and just expected it would be an easy one for them to play. They found out the hard way that they had to play really good defense every inning. Our errors in the first game really hurt us. When you let a team have four outs an inning, you're going to get burned. In the second game, we made the plays that we needed to do in order to come out on top."