The key to winning this game was in the way our guys responded to Fremont's early runs in the first inning. We respond well. We want to stay in the winners bracket. If we keep hitting fast balls, we're usually in pretty good shape. – Pleasant Grove head coach Darrin Henry
With a tough start for the Vikings, who were down 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Pleasant Grove came to the plate and rattled off a single, two walks and a double to score three runs on its way to a 15-4 outing against Region 1 champion Fremont on Tuesday.
As soon as the national anthem's music faded and the first pitch was on its way, the rain started. Pleasant Grove's ace on the mound, senior Easton Walker, had a challenge getting a good grip on the ball as he walked the first Fremont batter, Haze Hadley, with four straight balls. Time was called to determine whether to continue play or wait for a few minutes. The rain blew north, the field dried again and the game continued.
Walker had a dry ball and a great grip and struck out the second batter, walked the third batter, and was not prepared when the fourth batter, senior Logan Walton, doubled to the left center fence, scoring the first two runs for Fremont. The fifth batter grounded out and the sixth batter was struck out. So, with the Silver Wolves going on defense and the Vikings coming to the plate, it looked like Fremont was in control of its own fate. And the Silver Wolves were … for a few minutes.
When the Vikings come to play, they really come to work. They grind out victories like Ford grinds out vehicles. One step at a time, they follow their own recipe and when it's over, Voila!, the victory is delivered. Pleasant Grove responded with three runs on two hits and two walks before Fremont knew what was happening.
"The key to winning this game was in the way our guys responded to Fremont's early runs in the first inning," Pleasant Grove head coach Darrin Henry said. "We respond well. We want to stay in the winners bracket. If we keep hitting fast balls, we're usually in pretty good shape."
As the game rolled on, Fremont went up to bat and went three up and three down for the second, fourth and fifth innings. The third inning saw five batters but no runs.
One of the Vikings' scores came when senior Chase Merrell, charging for third base, saw the Silver Wolves' catcher throw the ball to third but it went over the baseman's glove. "I saw the ball go over the baseman's glove and I just rounded third for home," Merrell added. "That was sweet!"
The top of the sixth inning, Walker was relieved by senior Ben Eldredge. The Silver Wolves had better luck batting against Eldredge as they added two more runs on four hits. At the end of the top of the sixth, the score was 10-4 and the Vikings were coming to the plate.
The starting pitcher for Fremont, captain Braxton Bullock, with a record of eight wins and one loss, did a great job for the Silver Wolves despite having been drilled on his leg by a hard hit grounder off the bat of Viking junior Payton Henry. Bullock stopped the ball and threw Henry out at first base, but took time to walk it off before continuing to pitch. The Vikings eventually saw and dealt with three additional pitchers, junior Brady Lundgreen, sophomore Kade Skeen and sophomore Justin Flinders. One of the frustrating results of the game for Fremont was the 12 walks issued by their pitchers.
The Vikings ended the sixth inning by adding five more runs, winning by the 10 run rule, 15-4. Bullock was the losing pitcher, Walker earned the win and Pleasant Grove ground out another win for the season. It was Merrell's single with bases loaded that put across the needed points to end the game at the bottom of the sixth inning.
As the Vikings walked off the field Tuesday evening, junior Payton Henry said, "Now let's go win two more games!"
Fremont moves to the one-loss category and will play Bingham in Game 25 on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Kearns facility. It now has a 21-7 overall record.
Pleasant Grove stays in the winners category and will play Cottonwood in Game 28 at 11 a.m. on Thursday at UVU. The Vikings now hold a 25-2 overall record.
Kent Allen lives in Pleasant Grove and reports on Pleasant Grove High School varsity sports for Deseret Connect.