Skyridge baseball on a roll after sweeping AF
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- Tyler Ball of Skyridge (right) waits to tag out American Fork’s Cael Flinders during a Region 4 baseball game on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Tyler Ball of Skyridge (right) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in a Region 4 baseball game against American Fork on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- American Fork’s Ryder Robinson (right) and Gavin Bauer of Skyridge look toward the umpire for a call at second base during a Region 4 baseball game on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Bauer was safe on the play.
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- Skyridge second baseman Ty Evans (2) tries to track down an errant throw as American Fork’s C.J. Mascaro slides in safely during a Region 4 baseball game on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Tyler Ball of Skyridge (right) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in a Region 4 baseball game against American Fork on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Skyridge pitcher Crew Schenk delivers to the plate during a Region 4 baseball game against American Fork on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Isaac Johansen of Skyridge takes a lead off first base during a Region 4 baseball game against American Fork on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- American Fork’s C.J. Mascaro delivers a pitch in a Region 4 baseball game against Skyridge on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Dalton Young of Skyridge beats a throw to first base during a Region 4 baseball game against American Fork on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- American Fork’s Ty Robinson (left) catches the ball but not in time to get the Skyridge runner during a Region 4 baseball game on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
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- Players in the American Fork dugout provide encouragement during a Region 4 baseball game against Skyridge on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
One team is going into the 6A state tournament on a hot streak, and the other on a losing streak.
It’s not who you might expect.
Skyridge is the 2023 Region 4 champion and will earn one of the top two seeds at state after winning seven of its final eight games while American Fork, which won the 2021 6A title and finished as a runner-up in 2022, has stunningly lost six games in a row.
The Falcons (12-3 Region 4, 17-5 overall) completed a three-game sweep of the Cavemen on Wednesday, racing to a big lead and holding on for an 8-6 victory. Skyridge won Game 1 by a 5-2 score on Monday and Game 2 6-5 in extra innings on Tuesday.
“American Fork, they’ve been the standard for high school baseball here and Jarod (Ingersoll) does an amazing job,” Skyridge coach Ryan Roberts said. “Their kids play hard and they play very sound. We talk to our kids about how if you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. They’re in a little bit of a funk, but we’re just worried about us. We’re swinging the bats well and I like our chances at state.”
The Falcons got out quickly with four runs and five hits in the top of the first. Isaac Johansen clubbed a two-run homer and Ike Pickle had an RBI double as the visitors took a 4-0 lead. Skyridge scored two more in the top of the second, highlighted by another run driven in by Johansen, for a 6-0 advantage. In the third, BYU-bound Tyler Ball bashed his seventh home run of the season, ripping a shot over the right field wall for two more scores and an 8-0 lead.
American Fork showed frustration early and kicked the ball around with some uncharacteristic errors, then recorded a third out in the second inning when a single by Jett Walker was disallowed because the lineup card had been filled out incorrectly.
But the Cavemen also showed some fight to get back into the game. Dax Watts singled in a run and Walker drove in two with a double in the fourth to trim the deficit to 8-3. In the bottom of the fifth, AF touched Skyridge reliever Mason Thompson for three more runs, including an RBI single by Ryder Robinson and a two-run double by Walker to close to 8-6.
Thompson recovered to pitch scoreless ball in the sixth and seventh, retiring all six batters he faced.
“Mason did an amazing job today because he came out in his first inning and was not good,” Roberts said. “He didn’t have a good feel for the game. We talked to him and got him to reset. Then he came out with two good innings. That’s the maturity of leadership and of all the seniors. In years past, that’s an area where we sometimes failed.”
The Falcons took their two-run lead into the bottom of the seventh and Thompson shut down the heart of the AF lineup. Josh Rojas popped up to third base and Robinson, who is hitting better than .500 this season, drove a ball to the warning track in center field but Dalton Young was there for the leaping catch. Watts grounded out to third to end the game.
Johansen was 4 for 4 with three RBI for Skyridge and Ball, Ty Evans and Gavin Bauer all contributed two hits each.
“We just hit the ball and answered whenever they came at us,” Ball said. “We have a bunch of guys who will just fight. Top down in the lineup, everyone just hits and we love it. It always feels good to go yard. I caught barrel on it and it felt great.”
The Falcons won their first region title since claiming Region 8 while playing in 5A in 2019. Skyridge moved up to 6A in 2020.
“I tell coaches across the state that to win this region is kind of like winning the state championship,” Roberts said. “Every one of our teams could possibly win every other region. It’s not a slight on what other teams are doing, it’s just how good the teams are in Region 4. Every game has just been a battle and really close. The best part of the season is that every week all three games are intense and you have to make plays. Winning region was a goal that we set. We felt like a lot of people didn’t give us a lot of respect and still don’t which is good.”
Walker and Watts had two hits apiece for American Fork (7-8, 13-11), which was No. 3 in RPI a few weeks ago but could fall out of the top eight with its recent losing streak.
The final RPI, seeds and pairings for the state tournament will be announced on Friday.