Pleasant Grove • Jade Smoot didn’t hit a home run or game-winning double.
He didn’t hit a walk-off single or even draw a walk-off walk.
—
Storylines Pleasant Grove 7, Alta 6 (8 innings)
An error allows the Vikings’ winning run to score.» Alta’s Easton Walker homers twice.
 |
Join the Discussion |
 |
Post a Comment |
It didn’t matter how he won the game, just that he did.
What is the phrase for a driving in the game-winning run if it comes on an error?
Who cares?
Smoot put the ball in play, and it was the reason Pleasant Grove celebrated a 7-6 win over the Alta baseball team in eight innings Thursday afternoon.
"Jade has had some good at-bats, and in that situation, we just needed him to hit the ball hard," Pleasant Grove coach Darin Henry said. "And we were fortunate that it worked out for us. Alta is a great team. I was proud of the way the kids fought back when we got down early."
Alta took advantage of three Pleasant Grove errors in the second inning and used RBI singles from Devon Relf and Braydon Goddard to take a 5-0 lead. But Pleasant Grove set the stage for its eighth-inning dramatics thanks to a pair of home runs from Easton Walker.
Chase Merrell led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Chandler Bice followed with a sacrifice bunt. The Vikings caught a break when Alta pitcher Chipper Lucero fielded the bunt and tried to get Merrell at second. His throw was high, and everyone was safe. After Brandon Coombs walked to load the bases, it appeared as though Alta (3-1) was doomed.
But Lucero, Alta’s starting catcher who had given the team three innings of scoreless relief, nearly got out of the inning.
-
Photos of the day May 25, 2013
Published May 25, 2013 08:03:23PM -
Fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls are up for sale
Published May 25, 2013 08:00:02PM -
San Antonio flooding kills 1; 200-plus rescued
Published May 25, 2013 07:53:28PM -
Anti-Muslim actions rise in U.K over slain soldier
Published May 25, 2013 07:43:43PM
He battled back to strike out Walker, who had 5 RBIs on the day. With the infield in, Smoot hit a sharp ground ball to the second baseman. The throw home would have been in time to get the runner and could have started a double play, but it was in the dirt, allowing the winning run to score.
The win helped Pleasant Grove improve to 5-0 and made a winner out of Coombs, who was brilliant in relief. He allowed just one run in the final 61⁄3 innings.
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
