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Orem can’t dig out of first-inning hole in loss to Bountiful

By Darnell Dickson - | May 23, 2022
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Orem's Luke Kimmel loses his cap after he delivers a pitch against Bountiful during a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem's Sawyer Slade puts his catching gear on in the dugout during a 5A baseball state tournament game against Bountiful on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem's Maddux Lamoreaux (13) tries to beat a throw to first base against Bountiful in a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem's Luke Kimmel takes a turn near third base on his way to home plate during a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem's Luke Kimmel throws a pitch against Bountiful in a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem's Carter Hall (15) slides safely into third base against Bountiful on a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Monday, May 23, 2022.
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Orem catcher Sawyer Slade waits for a pitch against Bountiful in a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Monday, May 23, 2022.

Orem baseball coach Carl Hermanson is getting tired of slow starts.

The No. 9 Tigers fell behind No. 10 Bountiful in Monday’s 5A state tournament game 5-0 in the first inning and trailed 7-0 heading into the fifth. Orem rallied to within two but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling to the Braves 8-5 at UCCU Ballpark.

“The kids always battle back,” Hermanson said. “I always know they are going to battle back, but if you’ve watched us at all this year, we’ve given up four or five runs in the first inning probably 12 times. It’s ridiculous and it’s really frustrating. I wish I was a better coach so I could figure it out, you know?”

Bountiful, which scored 18 runs in eliminating Woods Cross in the Super Regionals, came out swinging hard against Orem starter Luke Kimmel. The Redhawks hit three straight stinging ground balls that just eluded the Tigers’ gloves to get the offense going.

“You kind of hope your infield makes one of those plays to get us out of the inning and that turns the whole thing right there,” Hermanson said.

The big blow for Bountiful was a three-run triple from Kaisan Averett and the Redhawks led 5-0 right off the bat.

Orem had a hard time figuring out Bountiful lefty Truman Duryea, who struck out six in the first four innings and allowed just one hit during that span. The Tigers trailed 7-0 before finally getting on the board in the fifth. An RBI single from Cam Humphries and a two-run double from Cohen Strickland trimmed the deficit to 7-3.

In the sixth, Orem scored twice on wild pitches and trailed just 7-5. With two out and runners on first and third, Sawyer Slade was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Strickland got just under a ball and flied out to center field to end the inning and the threat.

Bountiful added another run in the top of the seventh for an 8-5 advantage. Orem went down in order in the bottom of the inning, with Redhawks reliever Tavis Danner striking out two.

Averett finished 3 for 3 with five RBI for Bountiful (22-9), which will play No. 2 Lehi in Tuesday’s championship bracket.

Orem (21-10) will move into the elimination bracket and play No. 22 Maple Mountain on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles were shutout 10-0 by Lehi on Monday but knocked out top seed Spanish Fork on Saturday.

Maple Mountain eliminated Orem from last year’s 5A tournament by winning twice in the semifinals, including a 5-4 thriller after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

“The one saving grace about this format now is you don’t have to win a ton of extra games to get back in it,” Hermanson said. “So if we can take care of business tomorrow I think it’s just one extra game. Before if you lost one of them it was like eight games to get back to it.

“Last year we won our first two (in the bracket round) and then we couldn’t quite knock Maple Mountain off there at the end. But we’re used to this situation. Most these guys have been here. They know what to expect. We’ve just got to come out swinging.”

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