Alta turned the tables - in more ways than one - and defeated defending champion Taylorsville 13-8 in Friday's 4A UHSAA-First Security Bank prep baseball championship game.
The Warriors won their 1989 crown by winning a pair of games on the final day of the 4A double-elimination tournament. Alta did the same doubleheader-type duty Friday by shutting out Skyline 5-0 in the early game before defeating Taylorsville at Murray's Ken Price Park for the title.And it was Taylorsville that defeated Alta for the 4A championship four years ago. "The first call I got that night when I got home was from (Taylorsville Coach) Ron Rushton," remembered Alta Coach Gary Garcia.
With the 4A trophy now in the grasp of the 21-5 Hawks, the circle was to be completed late Friday night. Garcia was planning a late-night return call to Rushton, who has ended a stellar coaching career at Taylorsville by retiring to become the athletic director at soon-to-be-opened Hunter High.
Alta won Friday's title game at Ken Price Park with what looked to be an all-comers pitching rotation. "With the guys on our team, anybody can pitch," said the Hawks' infielder-outfielder Doug Webb, himself having logged the six-hit shutout against Skyline earlier in the day to put Alta in the title game against Taylorsville. "We can pitch anybody with this group."
Of course, that's what it ended up being - a group effort - sophomore John White for the start, followed by Chris Salisbury, Matt Mackay and Ryan Bills. Salisbury picked up the win and the Alta Pitching Committee Inc. combined for 11 strikeouts - including three key bases-loaded, inning-ending Ks.
The revolving door on the mound is the result of some heavy-duty hitting during the week-long tournament, which in turn is the result of the UHSAA's new pitching limitation of 14 innings per calendar week per player, making good arms even more scarce. However, the Warriors' woes weren't about innings pitched - starter Travis Parker struggled early against Alta and ace Nic Deluca was unavailable for mound duty because of a tender throwing arm.
If pitching wasn't enough problems, Taylorsville experienced continued bat trouble for the second straight day. Same song, second verse - 13 runners stranded, with each of the final three innings ending with the bases loaded.
That's a far cry from the way the game started for Taylorsville - a 4-0 lead after the first inning, including doubles by Scott DeBenedictis and Justin Thomas and a two-run homer by Parker.
Garcia quickly warned his players on Taylorsville's toughness once it takes a sizeable lead. "I told them that if we could get a run here or a run there, we'd be in good shape."
Rather than bring in runs in a nickel-and-dime fashion, the Hawks bankrolled nearly all of their run production into the next two innings - a three-run second and a nine-run third. And the three-run second was mild - considering that Taylorsville answered with a run in the bottom of the second to nurse its lead back to 5-3.
Then came the Hawk's nine-run third - Bills drove in one run with an early inning single, with Alta enjoying runners at every base with no outs. Brandon Elggren walked in a run, Kevin Balfe brought in another with a soft, no-play infield hit, and Ken Sharp's one-out fielder's choice made for the fourth.
A Warrior error on a routine fly to the outfield for the expected third out was dropped, with the Hawks eventually adding another five unearned runs - including another two RBI by Bills for a total of three in two at-bats in the inning.
Alta picked up its 13th run later on a solo homer by Webb.