Walk-off victories set the stage for Snow Canyon vs. Crimson Cliffs 4A state championship series.
Sitting just one win away from the state championship series with a chance for a title repeat on the line, the Snow Canyon Warriors emerged victorious with a 4-2 win over Ridgeline on Wednesday evening.
With the score tied at 2-2, junior Dewy Gibb stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second. Gibb smashed a ball deep to left field and over the wall for a two-run walk off home run, giving Snow Canyon a 4-2 win and sending them to the state final series.
“Cael Johnson took the pressure off of me, tied it up. If I don’t come in clutch, we go to extras, it’s fine. But I just got a good pitch I could handle, and I barreled it,” Gibb said of his walk-off moonshot.
Reed Secrist has seen a lot of things in his 22 years as head coach of the Warriors, but nothing quite like a walk-off home run to send a team to the state championship series.
“No, I’ve probably never seen that. Not in that big of a game to send us to the state championship. Unreal, just unreal,” Secrist said.
Thanks to Dewy, Snow Canyon will now have the chance to repeat as state champions.
Following a scoreless 3 ½ innings, it would be the Warriors that would break through on the scoreboard. After Andrew Lyon led off the inning with a hit by pitch, Trey Vaughn drove him in the game’s first run with an RBI double that the Timpanogos left fielder lost in the sun.
Snow Canyon starting pitcher Zach Beck certainly did his part to keep his team in front, tossing 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
Secrist would ultimately make the tough choice to remove his starter with two runners on base and one out in the sixth.
“I think he was pretty upset that I got him out of there,” Secrist said after taking Beck out of the game.
“But obviously he did exactly what was asked of him, which was to keep us close.”
The game continued its low-scoring trajectory, but eventually the Riverhawks would break through.
Ridgeline would plate two runs in the top of the seventh – highlighted by RBI base hits from Cooper Clark and Cael Kidman – to take a 2-1 lead.
Despite giving up the slim lead, Snow Canyon came to bat in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to win the ball game.
After a leadoff walk and Johnson’s RBI double, Gibb delivered to send the Warriors through to the next round.
“It’s probably the greatest thing that kid’s ever done in his life, and you know, it’s just pretty awesome,” Secrist said.
The Warriors will now go for a state championship repeat, facing off against the 2022 and 2023 state champion Crimson Cliffs Mustangs.
“We’ll try and relax tomorrow and then be ready for Friday, because we know whoever is coming from the other side (of the bracket), either one of those teams will be ready to roll”
Little did he know at the time that there would be another all Region 9 showdown for the 4A crown.
Game 1 of the Best-of-3 championship series will take place at Bruce Hurst Field on Friday at 7 p.m., while Game 2 is slated to take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. If both teams win a game, the if-necessary Game 3 would then be played at 1:30 p.m.
Crimson Cliffs 6, Timpanogos 5
With a chance to face the Snow Canyon Warriors for a 4A state title on the line, the Crimson Cliffs Mustangs made sure it would be an all-Region 9 finale for the trophy.
Even after allowing the Timpanogos Timberwolves back in the game after letting up a 5-2 lead, the Mustangs’ championship mettle shined through when it mattered most.
With the game tied up at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Crimson Cliffs secured a walk-off win with a single off the bat of Ryder Elenes to claim a 6-5 win.
“That was unreal. It was just a great at-bat by Ryder, and he’s been a spark plug for us all year,” Crimson Cliffs head coach Justin Abbott said of the walk off.
The Mustangs began the frame with McKay Wright drawing a leadoff walk, and two batters later, Austin Smith was intentionally walked to put runners on the corners with one out.
Up stepped Elenes, delivering the game-winning hit and giving Crimson Cliffs a chance to claim its third 4A title in the last four years.
“When they walked Austin (Smith), it was like, ‘wow, you really want to pitch at me?” Elenes said of his game-winning opportunity.
“We saw them earlier this season and I kind of had their number, but I haven’t had a hit all week, and it just kind of felt good, you know? I was just trying to see a pitch down and drive the ball.”
It didn’t seem like Elenes would have the chance to be the hero early on in the game, as Crimson Cliffs led 5-0 through five innings.
But Timpanogos was able to get to pitcher Ryker Taylor enough for head coach Justin Abbott to make a change, even after Taylor pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
A few at-bats later, the Wolves cut the deficit to 5-2, and the momentum continued into the seventh.
In an inning featuring multiple pitching changes, Timpanogos would use a pair of base hits, two walks, and a Crimson Cliffs error to tie the score.
Even with the momentum heading in the wrong direction, the Mustangs found an answer. Elenes got his chance, and now the school from Washington will have a chance to win a third state title in four years.
“It’s all too familiar, especially in this place, and seeing Reed (Secrist) in the other dugout,” Abbot said of a Region 9 state championship series.
“We’ve just got to make sure we execute. We’ve got to throw strikes; we’ve got to play defense. You know, all of those things in baseball that help you win games, we’ve just got to be the best and play the best baseball that we’ve played all year.”
With the win, the Mustangs will face crosstown rival Snow Canyon for the state title. Game 1 begins Friday at 7 p.m., while Game 2 will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday. If the teams split the two matchups, a third game will take place on Saturday at 1:30.
“I really like the way we’ve been playing right now, and it’s going to be a dog fight, so we’re excited,” Secrist added.