The Riverton Silverwolves entered the 2024 season as preseason favorites to take the Region 2 title but started with a 6-4 loss to Layton.
On Friday though, the Silverwolves bounced back with an 8-3 road win over the 2023 defending 6A champion American Fork.
“Whenever Riverton and American Fork play it’s going to be a battle and I don’t want to make this game any bigger than it is because it’s their first game and our second game,” said Riverton head coach Jay Applegate.
“Both of us are trying to figure out where we’re going to have kids and what we can do. I am extremely proud of our kids because in our first game we were up and down. This is a good building block for us and in the big picture this is a preseason game and we’ve got to get better.”
Riverton had no issues getting runs in the first inning, with a double from Drake Piersall getting in two runners and Cohen Allred hitting in another runner for a 3-1 lead.
After the first inning, nobody scored until the fifth, when both teams added one run apiece. The Silverwolves followed that up with strong pitching and fielding to keep their 4-2 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Applegate said he had been stressing strong final innings, and his team delivered with four runs in the seventh inning.
“Our whole week we’ve been stressing the fourth, fifth and sixth innings,” he said. “That’s where you win or lose ball games. This is why you coach because kids are doing what you are asking them to do.”
Riverton’s Alex Vernon was the catalyst for the seventh inning run. Vernon hit a double to get two runs home and ended the game with three RBIs.
“I was just looking for fastballs and I didn’t get a lot but in that last inning I got a few so I was just looking to put something in the gap and it ended up working,” said Vernon.
“It feels great. Losing to Layton didn’t feel good but we bounced back, and we want to get some more. I feel like we’re some bulldogs. We’re a really good team and we really emphasize being a champion. I thought we were that today and I think we can be that throughout the season.”
Riverton held American Fork to one run in the seventh inning to solidify the 8-3 win.
“We really tried to emphasize playing for each other, to pick each other up because everyone is going to experience some down times,” said Applegate.
“If you’ve got teammates picking you up, keeping your head up, good body language, it goes a long way and that’s something we try to stress.”