I'm not gonna play for second place; that was miserable last year... I just know that that second-place trophy was awful, it was a bad feeling. – Snow Canyon coach Reed Secrist
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KEARNS — The Snow Canyon baseball team has definitely been down this road before.
Today, though, the Warriors will try to reach a different, more glorious destination — the state championship.
Snow Canyon knocked off top-ranked Spanish Fork 7-3 in Friday's semifinals of the 3A state tournament. If that sounds somewhat familiar, it should — the Warriors did the same thing in last year's 4A tournament, only to lose twice to the Dons on the final day to see the state title slip from their grasp.
That second-place finish didn't sit too well with Snow Canyon coach Reed Secrist and his squad, who have their sights set on taking home the title that eluded them last year.
"I'm not gonna play for second place; that was miserable last year," said Secrist, whose team eagerly awaits today's 11:30 a.m. title game at Kearns High's Gates Field. "... For the most part, we've got to make sure that we come and make the plays that are easy, that should be made, where we had a couple balls last year that got by us and things like that. ... I just know that that second-place trophy was awful, it was a bad feeling."
His son, Brogan Secrist, drew a crucial bases-loaded walk with two outs and a full count in the sixth inning that brought home the go-ahead run and opened the floodgates for a four-run outburst that broke open a tight game.
The Warriors' second baseman feels much the same way his dad does — as well as the entire team, their fans, the players' parents, the community and everyone else associated with the Snow Canyon program.
"The same thing happened last year," Brogan Secrist said. "We've just got to get it done this year. We've got to change something and get it done this year."
Friday's come-from-behind victory was a good step in the right direction. Trailing 3-2 entering the fifth inning, the Warriors tied it up on Michael Jensen's run-scoring single.
Then came the decisive sixth-inning rally that vaulted Snow Canyon into the finals.
After Ben Rowland led off with a walk, Spanish Fork starter Brady Corless retired the Warriors' next two batters. But Brayden Linde singled to right field and Chandler Day, who had singled and scored the tying run in the fifth, hustled his way for an infield single to load the bases.
Brogan Secrist then coaxed his critical bases-loaded walk from Corless to make it 4-3.
"He's got a very good eye at the plate and he got the walk, and I'll take that any time," Coach Secrist said.
Austin Ovard followed with a huge two-run single to make it 6-4, and when Secrist scored on a wild pitch, Snow Canyon's cushion increased to 7-3.
Workhorse junior left-hander Riley Gates then shut the door on the Dons by striking out their last two batters — giving him 11 Ks on his solid complete-game, four-hit pitching performance.
"It was a little outside, six inches, I'd say, off the plate," Brogan Secrist said of his key base on balls, holding his fingers closely enough that, if you caught a fish that size, you'd throw it back. "When I get two strikes, I step a little closer to the plate and I'm able to see the outside corner a little bit better. I almost went; I kinda went, but, yeah.
"I felt like we really carried off that, we built off that and we did some good things offensively and got the job done," he said.
Ovard, who won Thursday's game with a strong relief effort, wasn't content to take a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning.
"Spanish Fork's a good hitting team," he said. "One run, of course, you can win with it, but as far as needing those extra insurance runs, I just wanted to try and give 'em to us.
"If I were to ground out or something, I know we'd have a one-run lead still and we just needed to hold 'em and get the outs. But then again, I didn't want to just give up on it. It felt good, yeah, it felt good."
Gates gave the Warriors another date with destiny, throwing more than 120 pitches in running his season record to 9-1. He entered Friday's game with a microscopic ERA of 0.66.
"I start off a little rusty and then usually later in the game I get a little bit stronger and a little bit more smarter," he said. "I threw 142 pitches last week against Juan Diego (in a complete-game, 9-inning win), and I was ready to go 11 innings today. I don't really pay attention to that (pitch count), I've got to keep battling and go get a state championship. "My offense did a heckuva job today. It was awesome — I can't thank 'em enough. They help me out way too much and give me too much credit. They're hard workers and I love 'em to death.
"It's just one game, it's not the state championship game," Gates said of Friday's win. "It's a good job by our team, but we can't celebrate too much on this one because we've got to go get tomorrow. I want to go right now."
Coach Secrist was glad to have Gates on the mound for Friday's showdown, and he wouldn't be afraid to use him again today in relief if the situation calls for it.
"We hate to see him over 100 pitches every time he goes out, knowing that he's going to play at the next level for sure," the Warriors' coach said. "But at the same time, he's a competitor and he wants the ball and he wants to keep going. Hopefully by next year, we'll have him where he's throwing two or three pitches to every hitter, I don't know.
"Riley did a great job, and when you've got him out there I feel pretty at ease about what's happening. ... I love Riley Gates and when he's on the mound, I'm a happy man."
The Warriors, who won state titles in 2002 and 2007, are hoping to enhance that happiness even more later today.
Email: rhollis@desnews.com