SPANISH FORK — Jace Brinkerhoff understands pitching. He knows he doesn't have to rack up a pile of strikeouts to be effective and win games.

In leading the Spanish Fork Dons to a 5-1 Region 4 win Friday over the Lone Peak Knights, the senior right-hander fanned only six but also gave up only four hits — including two infield singles. He also got out of two jams with timely pitching, one by enticing a no-out double-play grounder and the other with a bases-loaded strikeout.

"Too many high school pitchers think you have to strike guys out, but pitching to contact is what we want to do, and that's Jace's bread and butter," Dons coach Jim "Shoe" Nelson said. "He probably doesn't have as good as fastball yet as he had last year, but he competes and he pounds the strike zone and he knows batters are going to get themselves out seven out of 10 times."

The Dons were also helped with some big two-out base hits with runners in scoring position.

The Dons scored three times in the first inning on two hits. Brinkerhoff doubled and scored on a single over third base by Aaron Binks. Following two walks, Rhett Nielsen then drove two home with a two-out single to right field.

Lone Peak's lone run came in the third when Kellen Leavitt reached on a lead-off infield hit, stole second and scored on two consecutive ground outs to second base. Spanish Fork went back ahead by three runs in the bottom half when Cory Grover reached on an error and scored on a double off the left-field fence by Jordan Smith.

The Knights put their first two hitters on base in the fourth, on a double by Brendan Smith and a walk to Billy Burgess. But the Dons escaped without injury when Brinkerhoff got Max Harris to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

"The game could have gotten real interesting had we not turned that double play right there. I think that was the key play of the game," Nelson said.

There was, however, another key at bat in the game. With the Dons leading 4-1, Lone Peak loaded the bases in the fifth to put the tying runs on, but Brinkerhoff ended the threat with a strike out on a wicked curve ball. Lone Peak never threatened to score again, while the Dons added an insurance run in the sixth when Casey Carling lined a two-out single over second to score Seth Spainhower, who led off the inning with a walk.

Lone Peak reliever Alex Hesterly did an excellent job of keeping the Knights within striking distance by allowing only one run on two hits in three innings.

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"I thought their lefty, Hesterly, came in, threw well and did what he was supposed to do to keep us from breaking the game open," Nelson said.

The victory gives the Dons a season sweep over the Knights and improves Spanish Fork's league record to 2-0, while Lone Peak drops to 0-2.

"In this region, where there's so much parity, it's huge for us to sweep a team that was picked to be right up there at the top with us," Nelson said.


E-mail: jimr@desnews.com

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