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Kearns • It was a dream scenario, one every baseball player imagines: bases-loaded, no outs, with a chance to break open a close game in the postseason.
What Pine View's nine-hole hitter Jared Stirling did next is almost believable only in fantasy. In the sixth inning of the Panthers' Class 3A quarterfinal clash against Carbon at Gates Field at Kearns High, Stirling ripped a hard shot into right field, ensuring at least two runs, but the Dinos' outfielder misplayed the flight pattern. Suddenly, Stirling was rounding the bases and coming home on the play that was ruled a single with a three-base error.
The sequence transformed a two-run cushion into a six run advantage before Stirling blasted an actual home run in the following inning in Pine View's 12-6 victory on Tuesday afternoon.
"I didn't know what was happening, man. I saw it under his legs and ran as fast as I could," Stirling said.
Pine View (19-6) shut out Carbon in the semifinals last year, 8-0, en route to its first championship since 2003.
"We don't really spend much time talking about it, to tell you the truth," said Pine View coach Troy Wall when asked about the difficulties of repeating as champions. "We try to keep our focus. When we get to the end, if we do — fantastic."
In last year's game, Dakota Donovan pitched a shutout. He was on the mound Tuesday for the Panthers once again.
The Oregon State commit scattered four hits — three of which occurred in succession to open the third — in six innings of work and struck out seven batters.
In the first inning, after Jagun Leavitt slapped an RBI single, Donovan provided a three-run cushion to his cause with a two-run homer. He followed it up with an RBI single in the top of the third, as the Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the third, Mitch Olsen, Trey Richardson and Chase Morgan loaded the bases with three straight singles before an error and Jayden Flemett's fielder's choice RBI sliced the Dinos' deficit to 5-2. Carbon (12-12) added another run in fifth inning on a passed ball before Stirling took over.
"He is such a good kid," Wall said of Stirling. "He's very quiet, but one heckuva athlete. To see that happen for him was awesome, really."
Carbon's Cole Fossat, who pitched five innings and allowed eight hits with four strikeouts, hit a three-run home run in the bottom of seventh, but the game was fully wrapped up.
"That team is really good," Wall said. "We knew they would play to the last pitch. We didn't relax at all."
Stirling conceded the ruling of a single and an error was correct, but when asked how he'd describe the sequence to his future children, he admitted he might embellish the story into hitting the dream grand slam.
Canyon View 4, Richfield 3 • The Falcons survived the battle of Region 12, but the fourth-seeded Wildcats (13-12) gave the No. 1 seed all they could handle. Joey Lambeth picked up the win, allowing seven hits in six innings, while fanning two batters. In the bottom of the first inning, Cadyn Clark ripped a two-run homer and Jackson Vasi brought home another run with a single for a 3-2 lead. Vasi added another RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to push Canyon View (19-6) ahead for good. The Falcons will face Pine View on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Kearns.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
3A scoreboard
Thursday's Quarterfinals
• Pine View 12, Carbon 6
• Canyon View 4, Richfield 3
Friday's Elimination Games at Kearns HS
Carbon vs. Dixie, 11 a.m.
Richfield vs. TBA, 1:30 p.m.
Friday's winners, 7 p.m.
Friday's Semifinal at Kearns HS
Pine View vs. Canyon View, 4:30 p.m.