OREM — Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson couldn't have picked a better day to see his team play perhaps its best game of the season. The Timberwolves shut out a strong Murray team, 7-0. The Spartans had won nine of their last 11 games, 7-0.

"I would say this was one of our better overall games of the whole year," said Nelson. "We hit it. We fielded it. We pitched it. It just doesn't get much better than that for us."

Timpanogos pounded 13 hits led by Chase Croft, who finished the afternoon 3-for -3 at the plate. Mac Nelson and Ryder Olsen each finished with a pair of hits to lead the T-Wolves' offensive attack.

"Yesterday I told them we probably didn't hit it well enough to score nine runs," said Nelson. "Today it was just the opposite. We hit it way better then just the seven runs that we got."

Defensively, Timpanogos's Shawn Olsen struck out three Murray batters, along with allowing only five hits.

"(Olsen) was really on top of it," said Nelson. "That's a pretty good hitting team."

Timpanogos' first two runs came in the second inning when Spencer Johnson drilled a two-run double that brought home Spencer Snow and Chase Croft.

In the third inning Murray threatened to put their first runs on the board as they loaded the bases with one out. Mark Willahan led off the inning with a double and then Matt Sanford was hit by a pitch. Joe Palmieri then loaded the bases with a single putting Ryan Whitehead at the plate.

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Timpanogos got itself out of the bases loaded jam when Mac Nelson made a great stop at third to end the inning on a double play.

"I think that is definitely the defensive play of the game because it is still a 3-0 game at that point," said Nelson. "That's a tough play I don't care who it is. It's a short hop. He comes up with it and turns it into an easy double play."

The T-Wolves extended their lead to 3-0 when Ryder Olsen knocked home Shawn Olsen, who reached base on a triple in the bottom of the third inning.

Mac Nelson drove home two runs in the fourth off an error by the Spartan defense. Timpanogos would put two more runs on the board in the sixth thanks to doubles by Nelson and Greg Larsen.

"We made some small adjustments in some swings for some people," said Nelson. Overall I just thought it was a real good day all the way round."

Timpanogos (17-4) plays Roy (15-6) at 4 :30 p.m. Tuesday at BYU, while Murray, which had won nine of its last 11 before Wednesday, plays Pleasant Grove at 7 p.m. Monday night at BYU.

In other Class 4A playoff baseball action Wednesday:

4A PLAYOFFS

ROY 3, SPRINGVILLE 2:Marcus Moore pitched the seventh for the Royals and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Travis Kester pitched six innings for Roy, scattering four hits and giving up one unearned run.

MOUNTAIN CREST 4, SPANISH FORK 2: The Mustangs beat a tough Spanish Fork team on the road.

OLYMPUS 15, PROVO 9:Mike Rice drove in four and Blake Martin hit the game-winning three-RBI double in the sixth as the Titans rallied with 12 runs in the final two innings.

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PAYSON 6, LOGAN 2: Kyle Anthony struck out eight for Payson.

EAST 9, CYPRUS 6: After Alex Theodore was hit by the second batter of the game, shortstop Pat Zumalt took the mound for East; he scattered five hits and struck out six in the win.

WEST 1, MOUNTAIN VIEW 0: West sophomore Pete Babalis won a pitcher's duel, scattering five hits and shutting out Mountain View. Alec Cannon drove in Alexander Sotiriou for the only run of the game.

PLEASANT GROVE 11, SKY VIEW 1: Russell Wall went 4-for-4 and drove in a pair, and B.J. Nuccitelli added two more RBIs with a home run.

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