This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Defending Utah American Legion baseball champion Helper got off to a strong start in Saturday's first round of the state tournament in Cache County.
In the first game, Kyler Nelson hurled a four-hit shutout as Helper dominated Bear River 15-0. The Carbon County team then got a four-hit complete gamer from Cole Fossat to beat Box Elder 9-3 in the second game. Fossat was the hitting star in both games, recording a double and a triple against Beasr River and three doubles against Box Elder.
Things will get more difficult Monday night, though, when Helper meets St. George at the Logan park at 8 p.m. St. George has combined three strong Washington County prep teams into a single group and looks strong. St. George defeated Northridge 3-0 in its first game and blasted Cyprus 17-3 in the nightcap of the double-elimination, 12-team tournament.
The two other unbeaten teams after the first day are Layton and Trappers Orange, which represents Mountain Crest. Layton defeated Logan 5-4 Saturday, while Trappers' Orange took an 11-4 win over Herriman. Layton will meet Trappers Orange at 7 p.m. Monday in Smithfield.
The tournament is scheduled to end Thursday with the state champion earning a trip to the regionals.
– Tom Wharton