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Mountain View is a different team than the one that opened the season with a pair of losses by a combined score of 27-3.
And these aren't the same Bruins who were beaten soundly by Springville 11-1 in the preseason.
Now teams can't get Caleb Loveland out. Tanner Young and feeling it and Sam Roden is dealing.
Mountain View has put it all together and in case there were any skeptics, the Bruins turned in a convincing 12-7 win over Springville on Wednesday afternoon to take over first place in Region 7 with a 5-0 record.
"We came out flat last time (we played Springville). We've taken care of a few things since that time. That's what the preseason is for. We feel like we're ready to play," said Mountain View coach Chris Cooper. "They got the bounces the first time we played them and today we got the bounces. The reality is that we're pretty evenly matched."
Mountain View effectively put the game away when it got to Springville starter T.J. Whiting in the fourth inning for a 7-run inning.
Whiting beat Mountain View in the Dixie Sunshine Tournament in March. He struck out 10 and gave up just four hits in an 11-1 win, but Whiting found the Bruins lineup much more potent the second time around.
Mountain View was clinging to a 2-1 lead when the Bruins erupted for seven runs. It all started with a perfect bunt single from Caleb Loveland. Mountain View then perfectly executed a hit-and-run. Travis Jackman drove the ball to second base, but Springville's Colton Ramon broke to cover second, leaving runners at first and third.
Spencer Riley then beat out a bunt to load the bases. Kyle Kendall followed with an RBI single. Whiting battled back to strike out Marcus Draper and got Mark Garrett to hit a sacrifice fly, but the Bruins weren't done. Tanner Young singled in two runs to chase Whiting from the game. Sam Roden followed with an RBI double and Loveland got his second hit of the inning when he singled in a run to give Mountain View a 9-1 lead.
To Springville's credit, the Red Devils charged back to make a game of it instead running for the nearest heater to find some relief from bitter cold temperatures that featured a biting wind.
Springville came back with five runs in the fifth inning that featured RBI singles from Ramon and Brandon Miller.
Cameron Schmidt relieved Roden and got the Bruins out of the inning. He pitched the final two innings, allowing just one run.
Mountain View then finished off Springville with three more runs in the sixth. Loveland doubled in a run and Jackman came up with another hit and RBI to close out the Red Devils.
Loveland went 3-for-3 for Mountain View. Young, Roden and Jackman all had two hits for the Bruins. Springville's Corey MacMurdo went 2-for-3 for the Red Devils, who dropped a game behind Mountain View at 4-1.
"I thought they outpitched us, they played better defense, and they hit better than us. They just played better," said Springville coach Willy Child. "I was impressed with the way we kept battling, got guys on base, scored some runs and didn't give up. We've got to just get better."
Springville 100 050 1 -- 7 8 2
Mountain View 002 703 X -- 12 14 4
Roden, Schmidt (5) and Jackman. Whiting, Oakey (4) and Miller. WP - Roden. LP - Whiting. 2B - Roden (M), Roden (M). 3B - Garrett (M) |
