Lone Peak went on the road and earned a strong victory on Thursday afternoon.
The Knights scored five runs in the first two innings and then starting pitcher Jordan Fry combined with three others to make the lead hold up in a 9-6 victory over Riverton in the season opener for both teams after last week’s openers were snowed out.
“Every win is a good win, but it’s nice to start the season off with one,” said Lone Peak coach Matt Bezzant, who’s back as head coach after a four-year hiatus. “Riverton always has talented players and a great staff that will always make them a very good team. Wishing coach (Jay) Applegate the best through his recovery. The guy’s a stud.”
Riverton coach Jay Applegate is recovering at home after an accident left him with a severely broken leg and landed him in the hospital. He’s been home for two weeks now but can’t put pressure on his leg for another month. He’s hoping to get out to the diamond before that in a wheelchair to help his assistant coaches, who he said have been great in picking up the slack.
Crew McChesney, Kade Gambill and Jethro Johnsen all recorded multiple hits to lead Lone Peak, and it was McChesney’s big hits that set the tone. He led off the game with a triple and then later in the game beat out a grounder to shortstop that allowed Fry to follow with a bases-clearing double.
Fry finished the game with four RBI, which helped give him some insurance runs on the mound.
“I felt Fry didn’t have his best stuff today, but he battled during his outing, and both Max Bateman and Brig Smith came in and were huge in holding the lead,” said Bezzant.
Fry struck out three while walking five in 3⅔ innings.
Lone Peak extended its lead to 8-2 through four innings, but Riverton put up a four spot in the bottom of the fifth to make it a game. The Knights tacked on an insurance run in the sixth, and then Smith and Easton Comer closed things out on the mound over the final two innings by not allowing a run.
Lone Peak is back in action this Saturday at Timpanogos, while Riverton will host Davis in a doubleheader on Saturday.