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Orem • It lived up to the hype.
Too often, matchups billed as the "Game of the Year" fall well-short of expectations, but Thursday's Class 5A baseball tournament winners bracket finale between Pleasant Grove and Cottonwood — the state's top two programs the entire season — lived up to the billing.
The Colts dramatically pulled even on a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning, only to watch PG's Easton Walker belt his third extra-base hit of the afternoon to propel the Vikings into their second consecutive title game with a 3-2 victory in walk-off fashion at Brent Brown Ballpark on Thursday.
"When I went up to bat, I tried to think, 'Don't do anything too special.' I got my pitch, and I put a good swing on it," Walker said. … "Clutch City. It's what we came up with at the beginning of the year. Take each pitch."
Unlike last season, when they battled through the one-loss bracket before falling against Jordan in the championship, the Vikings (26-2) possess the luxury of the winners bracket for the championship series scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Friday at UVU.
"We're in a great spot. That's exactly where we wanted to be," said Pleasant Grove coach Darrin Henry. "We've had the goal the whole year to be there in that spot, where somebody has to beat us twice. I feel good about that."
Both programs threw their No. 2 pitchers in the rotation: Logan Carlson for Pleasant Grove and Cottonwood's Wil Jensen, who came in with a perfect 14-0 combined record.
Carlson (now 7-0) scattered four hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking three. Jensen (8-1) allowed seven hits, fanning six batters and dealing one walk.
"We needed a great pitching performance today," Henry said. "We got that out of Logan."
Carlson had retired eight consecutive batters before he floated his fastball high into Cam Daley, who cranked the game-tying solo shot on the opening at-bat in the seventh.
"I know if I give up a home run, they're going to back me up," Carlson said. "That's the team that we are."
Pleasant Grove established its early 1-0 lead in the first inning on Bub Wilde's aggressive grounder that hopped past third. Cottonwood (26-3) responded on Tevita Gerber's screamer into right, before Walker's RBI double pushed PG ahead, 2-1 in the third.
Walker finished 3 for 3, with two doubles and a triple. All three hits feathered into the exact same location in left field, with two nearly ruled as errors by two separate Cottonwood defenders.
"The ball is kind of hard to read in the outfield in this park. It's big and open," Walker said.
Nothing was easy on Thursday, Henry explained, but the result certainly satisfied the buildup. As he approached the media for post-game interviews, Henry summed his feelings up with one word:
"Wow."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Pleasant Grove 3, Cottonwood 2
R Easton Walker goes 3 for 3, with two doubles and a walk-off triple for PG.
• Logan Carlson strikes out eight batters in seven inning of work to earn the win.
• Cam Daley hits a solo home run to pull Cottonwood even in the seventh inning. —
5A baseball schedule
At Brent Brown Ballpark, Orem
THURSDAY
Winners' bracket
• Pleasant Grove 3, Cottonwood 2
One-loss bracket
• Bingham 8, Cottonwood 4
FRIDAY
Championship
• Pleasant Grove vs. Bingham, 11 a.m.
(Game 2, if necessary, at 5 p.m.)