Timpanogos scores late to slip past Orem
Timpanogos second baseman Ethan Edmonds (14) slides head first into home plate during a Region 7 baseball game against Orem on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Timpanogos second baseman Chazz Crook (left) reaches for the baseball as Orem's Sawyer Slade slides head first during a Region 7 baseball game on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Timpanogos pitcher Tate MacGillivary delivers a pitch against Orem in a Region 7 baseball game on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Timpanogos pitcher Billy Bird delivers a pitch to the plate against Orem in a Region 7 baseball game in Orem on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Orem's Luke Kimmel (6) is met by teammate Cameron Humphries (24) after a scoring a run in a Region 7 baseball game at Timpanogos on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Orem's Luke Kimmel delivers a pitch during a Region 7 baseball game at Timpanogos on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Timpanogos first baseman Billy Bird (23) stretches for the ball as Orem's Trey Wilson tries to beat the throw during a Region 7 baseball game on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Orem coach Carl Hermanson (left in blue) meets with his players on the pitcher's mound during a Region 7 baseball game at Timpanogos on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
For the second straight game, Timpanogos had Orem down to its final three outs.
This time, the Timberwolves got the job done.
Orem rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win a one-run game on Tuesday but it was Timpanogos that came on strong late on Wednesday, pushing across four runs in the sixth and holding on for an 8-7 Region 7 win.
“This is quite the rivalry,” T-Wolves center fielder Trevor Herrick said. “We didn’t want to have that feeling again after losing the first game.”
Wednesday’s win was hard-earned after the T-Wolves fell behind 4-0 in the first inning.
“This is making an old guy older,” said long-time Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson. “We kind of returned the favor a little bit today, I guess, because we certainly walked away yesterday thinking we should have won. I’m sure Orem is thinking the same thing today.
“The kids know each other and I guess if there’s a rivalry, this is it. It was a good, competitive high school baseball game and fun to be a part of, win or lose.”
Cohen Strickland had a two-run single and Hayden Hixson a two-run double as Orem took a quick 4-0 lead. Timpanogos trailed 6-2 after three innings but stayed close due to strong relief pitching from Tate MacGillivary, who gave up just two hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
“Orem got that four-spot in the first inning and we were chasing them the rest of the game,” Nelson said. “Tate gave us a chance and that was big.”
The Tigers led 7-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning but the Timpanogos rally started with back-to-back singles from Herrick and Billy Bird. Jackson Bird followed with a triple to the gap in right-center to score two runs and cut the deficit to 7-6. Pinch runner Tandon Belliston came home with the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Carson Hawkes. With two outs, Chazz Crook’s hard ground ball resulted in an Orem throwing error, allowing Timpanogos to score the go-ahead run at 8-7.
Jackson Bird took the mound in the top of the seventh and set Orem down in order to preserve the win.
“We really just tried to rally off the first hit if we got one,” Herrick said. “We had to hold each other accountable and not wait to the last inning. We wanted to progressively score runs throughout the game We have a lot of talent and we want to get that to shine, hopefully, in the state tournament.”
Herrick drove in two runs with a triple and scored three runs for Timpanogos (12-2 Region 7, 15-6 overall), which maintained a two-game lead in the region race.
“From Day 1 I have felt that pitching was something that would kind of carry us,” Nelson said. “The further we go in the year, now it’s kind of concerning me a bit. One thing that was worrying me at the beginning of the year was where we were going to score runs. The top of the order was kind of carrying us but the past couple of weeks it’s been people in the lower part of the order that has done a lot more of the damage.”
Hixson doubled twice and drove in three runs for Orem (10-4, 14-7) and Strickland also plated three runs.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Friday at Orem.