And credit the sophomores for paving the way in a 9-5 comeback win over the Bobcats in super regional action on Thursday.

First up was sophomore first-baseman Elijah Aulava smacking a much-needed 2-run home run over the left field fence in the fifth inning, and then, two batters later, it was sophomore Drevin Christensen contributing a solo home run, his first round-tripper of the season. And just like that the Bulldogs were back in it, down just 5-4 with two innings left to play.

Provo took off from there, scoring nine consecutive runs in total to take a 9-5 win that was much more dramatic than the final score would indicate.

“I was struggling a bit in pregame batting practice, but then to be able to do that for my team was great,” Aulava said. “The big thing for me was just staying in the moment, feeling loose, and remembering that it was just a game. I hit the ball a little off the end of the bat, but I knew that I crushed it. I felt goosebumps.”

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

“It took some time, but we started getting some better swings on balls as the game went on, and credit Elijah and Drevin for getting us going there in the fifth,” added Provo coach Lance Moore. “But all credit goes to Sky View. That’s a really good team over there and their power probably surprised us a bit and we had to adjust.”

The Bobcats, fresh off of their regional round upset of No. 12 Green Canyon set the pace on Thursday. After a scoreless first inning, Sky View put two runs up on the board in the second inning and then three more in the third to put Provo in a somewhat surprising 5-0 hole.

“Coming off of a bye is tough, and I think that was part of it today,” Moore, who has coached at Provo for 15 years now, said. “Our pitcher, who has been great all year, was pitching too many strikes right down the middle of the plate, but credit our catcher, Taven Lancaster, for working well with Will (Gulbrandsen) to get through it and you began to see a lot weaker contact made by Sky View after those first few innings.”

Gulbrandsen indeed pitched a gem for the final four innings, not allowing Sky View to get into scoring position and ultimately pitching all seven innings, which can be a big asset at the outset of any baseball tournament.

“Getting that first win is big, and Will pitching a complete game is big, but you can’t lose sight of what you need to do,” Moore said. “Sky View is a great team and they’ll come back strong and we have to be ready for it and not take as long to get going as we did today.”

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

As Moore mentioned, Provo has relied heavily on sophomores this season, and sure enough it was a few more sophomores, other than Aulava and Christensen providing the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning. But it was also the seniors coming up big, particularly Gulbrandsen, in helping lead the way.

All in all the sophomores and seniors have combined for a productive team dynamic that secured an 18-7 mark during the regular season and good momentum heading into the tournament.

“We’re a young team overall, but all those young guys have played a lot of baseball,” Moore said. “And all of their play solidifies when you have great seniors like Gehrig (Orchard), Will (Gulbrandsen) and Tre (Asisi.) You glue that all together with one junior in the outfield and I just couldn’t be more happy with what we’ve been able to do this year. We’re young, we’re improving, but it’s going to be the seniors that lead us tomorrow and for the rest of the tournament. You watch.”

Provo's Dawson Moore was part of his team's big rally in the 6th inning and is greeted by teammates after scoring a run. May 7, 2026

Elijah Aulava smacks his big 2-run home run during fifth inning action during his team's first round win over Sky View. May 7, 2026

Provo ace Will Gulbrandsen struggled early, but recovered his form to pitch a complete game in his team's win over Sky View. May 7, 2026