Back on top: American Fork edges Skyridge for 6A baseball title
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- American Fork players pose for a photo with the state title trophy after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork head coach Jarod Ingersoll talks to his brother, Lehi head coach Jason Ingersoll after the Cavemen won the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork senior catcher Josh Rojas celebrates after getting safely to second during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork head coach Jarod Ingersoll gets a hug from his wife Jamie Ingersol after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players pose for a photo with their head coach, Jarod Ingersoll, and the state title trophy after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after winning the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- An American Fork baserunner just beats the throw to steal second during Game 3 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore second baseman Cooper Jones catches the second-to-last out during Game 3 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge players celebrate getting the third out during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge second baseman Ty Evans catches a pop fly during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- An American Fork batter swings at a pitch during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- A Skyridge baserunner slides safely back to first on a pickoff play during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against American Fork at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore second baseman Cooper Jones chases after a ground ball during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore second baseman Cooper Jones tries to turn a double play during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players and coaches watch the action during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork junior pitcher Dax Watts hits a foul ball during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge players watch the action during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against American Fork at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork junior pitcher Dax Watts throws a pitch during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge batter Dalton Young hits the ball during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against American Fork at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork players celebrate after getting the third out of an inning during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork senior catcher Josh Rojas snags a foul ball during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore outfielder CJ Mascaro just beats the throw to steal second during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Dax Greening slides safely into home during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against Skyridge at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior pitcher Crew Schenk throws a pitch during Game 2 of the 6A championship series against American Fork at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
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- Skyridge players stand for the national anthem before Game 2 of the 6A championship series against American Fork at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
Of all the state baseball championships won by American Fork — there are now 11 of them — the 2023 title might be the most unlikely.
The Cavemen, which came into this year’s 6A tournament as the No. 7 seed and on a six-game losing streak, beat No. 1 seed Skyridge twice (4-1 and 8-7) on Saturday at Utah Valley’s UCCU Ballpark to complete a storybook ending to a season that 17 days ago seemed lost.
“This team has gone through so many injuries,” AF coach Jarod Ingersoll said. “We’ve had to play people out of position. It’s crazy how it came together here at the end. Honestly, we ran out of ink making decisions as coaches trying to get different lineups that fit. Credit to the kids hanging in there and being patient with us as we tried to figure everything out. My mind is totally blown.”
Senior Ryder Robinson, who’s bat has carried AF all season, went 4 for 4 with five RBI as the Cavemen finished off the 8-7 victory in Game 3 of the championship series to claim the big gold trophy.
“We just went back to the basics,” said Robinson, who has signed to play with TCU. “We knew this was our last run so we just decided, ‘let’s just go do it.'”
Robinson did a lot of damage on Saturday, opening the scoring with a mammoth 2-run homer in the bottom of the first to help stake his team to an early 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Robinson delivered a two-out, two-run double to rally the Cavemen to an 8-7 lead.
“I like my chances when Ryder comes up,” Ingersoll said. “It’s hard not to put runners in motion when he’s up. He stayed on top of it and drove it on a line. It was just something special.”
Clinging to that one-run lead, American Fork got a terrific defensive play from shortstop Jett Walker to open the top of the seventh. Skyridge’s Gavin Bauer stung a Gabe Hollenbach pitch that looked headed for the gap but Walker made a leaping catch to bring the ball down for the first out of the inning.
“I was just trying to get that out,” Walker said. “At that point you just put your body on the line and do it for the boys.”
Hollenback struck out Max Johansen and got Mason Thompson — who drove in four runs for the Falcons — to pop up to first base for the final out of the game.
Ingersoll said the six-game losing streak, which included three close losses to this same Skyridge team, was a big wake-up call.
“We had a lot of work to do and looking back on it, those losses definitely made us tougher,” he said. “We played top baseball from then on.”
Robinson said at the beginning of the season the coaching staff had the players write a note about why they play baseball. After the losing streak, Ingersoll gave those notes back to the players to re-read.
“We lost those six straight games and we said, ‘We have nothing to lose, everyone has already counted us out.'” Robinson said. “So we just went and played.”
American Fork (20-13) has appeared in three straight state championships, winning in 2021 and 2023. The Cavemen also claim the unofficial 6A title in 2020 during the pandemic, winning the Last Chance Tournament.
“I’ll remember just how everyone counted us out,” Robinson said. “We lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team. This group of guys, no one believed in us. So I’ll remember our fight and how we overcome it all.”
Skyridge, which won Region 4 and was making its first championship appearance, finished the season with a 23-8 record.
“We just needed to get a few more hits or make a play or two, but that’s the game of baseball,” Falcons coach Ryan Roberts said. “Things didn’t go our way today. Give credit to AF, they got the big hits when they needed them. We can hold our heads high because my goal as a coach is that our guys compete their butts off all the time. Our kids did that. I think everyone saw that. We just came up short.
“I love our seven seniors. They’ve played a lot of baseball and done a lot. Their leadership and who they are as human beings, they are going to do amazing things. They’re going to change the world. I’ve got seven dudes that are the best human beings ever and they fight like crazy.”
Game 2
No. 7 American Fork 4, No. 1 Skyridge 1
The Cavemen took advantage of four Falcons errors in Game 2 to force the deciding third game.
Dax Watts got the win for American Fork, giving up just one unearned run and seven hits (all singles) in his seven innings of work.
The Cavemen scored one run in the top of the first when Skyridge committed two errors on the same play for a 1-0 advantage.
Falcons reliever Mack Fowers ran into control problems in the sixth inning, walking one batter and hitting two. Skyridge committed an error on Gavin Schoonover’s hard ground ball, which allowed two more runs to score for a 3-0 Cavemen lead.
The Falcons got something going in the bottom of the sixth and Isaac Johansen, who had walked, scored on a fielding error in the AF outfield to close the gap to 3-1. With two on and no one out, American Fork turned a 4-6-3 double play and Watts retired Jaxon Salcido to end the threat.
C.J. Mascaro opened the top of the seventh with a double for the Cavemen and eventually came home on Robinson’s ground ball out for a 4-1 lead. Watts pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to preserve the victory.
Crew Schenk, Fowers and Bauer combined to hold the Cavemen to just four hits but the errors allowed AF to get on top and stay there.
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