A championship team will take turns picking up its teammates.

Make a bad pitch? It's okay, Kellen McWhorter will run it down.

Commit an error? Don't sweat it, Jordan Mehlhoff will deliver.

For every mistake Timpanogos made on Friday afternoon at the state 5A tournament, the Timberwolves found someone to make up for it.

The result?

Timpanogos beat Riverton 6-5 and now has a date in the championship game today at 1:30 at UVSC. The T'Wolves will play the Bingham Miners. Bingham beat Riverton in the nightcap, 2-1.

Since Timpanogos is the only undefeated team left in the tournament, Bingham must beat Timpanogos twice to win the tournament.

"I think this reflects on how close we are as a team," said T'Wolves outfielder Christian Stewart, who tracked down a fly ball to end the game. "We know that when someone on the team makes a mistake, that we'll be there for them and we'll have their back."

That was never more evident than in the fifth inning when Timpanogos trailed 5-4.

Bret Lopez walked to lead off the inning and took third when Grant Jimenez bunted. Riverton reliever Kody Olson fielded the bunt, but overthrew his first baseman. Mitch Foster followed with a single to tie the game. Timpanogos now had runners at first and second. The inning nearly caved in on the T'Wolves when Riverton catcher Davis Johnson picked off Jimenez at second and Olson struck out Rhett Nelson, but Timpanogos wasn't done. Speed-up runner Logan Connors took second on a pitch in the dirt and Mehlhoff singled up the middle to drive in what proved to be the winning run.

Timpanogos starter Gentry Croft shut Riverton down in the final three innings to finish off a gutsy performance. Croft had been sidelined with a rib injury and has pitched just once in the last three weeks. He turned in a complete game. He fanned eight and gave up just five hits and issued five walks.

"I'm just proud of Gentry. For what he's been through in the last three weeks to come out here and scratch and claw his way to a win and to do all he could to help," said Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson. "The thing that has made it good for us is it hasn't been the same people all the team. We've gotten production from different spots in the order. That makes us all the more dangerous."

Croft was the last one to join the team who were sitting on grass up from the third base dugout. He had an ice pack tapped to his back. When he joined the team he got a hug from follow pitcher Tanner Wolf and a round of applause from his teammates.

"What bothered me was I was pitching with a heat pack on my back and I have never done that before," Croft said. "It was bugging me a little bit, but I had to step it up because I knew my teammates were counting on me."

Timpanogos gave Croft some much needed run support with two runs in the first inning. Jordan Cooper walked and stole second. Bret Lopez singled in a run. Lopez would score on a Foster single.

The T'Wolves went up 3-0 when Stewart tagged a Scott Shipley fastball over the fence in left-center field.

Croft gave up five runs in the third inning on just two hits. He had trouble with his command in the third. He walked Scott Shipley to lead off the inning. He then beaned Nathan Slaymaker. Riverton chose to bunt with its No. 3 hitter Alex Newman.

Newman bunted down the third base line. Croft picked it up and tried to get Shipley at third, but the throw was low and got past Rhett Nelson, allowing a run to score in the runners to advance.

Nick Johnston followed with a single up the middle that scored both runs to tie the game at three. Connor Woodward followed with a walk and after Croft fanned Vance Howard, Davis Johnson singled in two runs to put the Silverwolves on top 5-3.

Timpanogos cut the lead to 5-4 with a run in bottom of the third inning when Mehlhoff drove in a run by reaching base on an error that set the stage for Timpanogos' 2-run fifth inning that proved to be the difference in the game.

Lopez went 2-for-2 and scored three runs. Foster was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI for Timpanogos, who will be trying to win the school's first ever state 5A title. Timpanogos has won three 4A titles in the last six years.

Riverton 005 000 0 -- 5 5 3

Timpanogos 211 020 X -- 6 7 3

Shipley, Olson (3) and Johnson. Croft and Foster. WP - Croft. LP - Olson. HR - Stewart (T)