Region 9 baseball: Pine View sweeps, Desert Hills deals Snow Canyon first loss, Crimson gets second no-no

Written by Rich Allen
April 13, 2021
Desert Hills baseball's Chandler Reber takes a swing during the team's win at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 6, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — One undefeated team remains as the halfway point of the Region 9 baseball regular season lingers following Tuesday’s games.

Traton Staheli, Pine View baseball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, April 8, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Pine View swept Dixie across their two-game set while Snow Canyon took their first loss of the campaign after a late rally by Desert Hills in game one of that series. Elsewhere, the Reds claimed a sweep over cross-town rival Canyon View and Crimson Cliffs swept Hurricane.

The week was defined by dominant pitching performances, including a 17 strikeout game for Snow Canyon and Crimson Cliffs’ second combined no-hitter of the season. On Thursday, losing teams combined for just one run with three shutouts.

Here are recaps from the action from week three of Region 9 baseball:

Desert Hills deals Snow Canyon First loss, splits series

Tuesday: Desert Hills 8, Snow Canyon 5

Thursday: Snow Canyon 2, Desert Hills 0

It started off similarly to any of the previous four Snow Canyon wins. The Warriors led game one 2-0 after one inning, albeit if Isaac Lyon had to pitch around three walks and other command issues in the top of the first to keep the Thunder scoreless. Mason Strong launched a deep home run over the center field wall after Lyon drew a walk with the bat in the bottom half to get Snow Canyon up early.

Leadoff hitter Luke Anderson drove the first pitch Kaden Terry threw to the center field warning track. The ball was caught, but it still appeared that the Warriors, who posted at least 15 runs in each of their first four Region 9 games, were up to their normal antics. That was affirmed shortly after when Lyon drew a walk and scored on a long Mason Strong homer to center.

Mason Strong hits a home run to center field, Desert Hills baseball at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 6, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

In the second, Desert Hills knotted the score at 2-all after Luke Ochard reached on an error and scored on a Jackson Turley single before Chandler Reber drove in Cole DeCastro with a fielder’s choice. The Thunder took a 4-2 lead in the third with a pair of unearned runs following another error to start the frame.

Landon Frei hit a three-run bomb to left-center to put Snow Canyon back up in the bottom half with what turned out to be their final runs of the contest. Desert Hills didn’t score either until the sixth on a clutch Orchard single that scored Reggie Newby. They took the three-run lead in the seventh after Payton Gubler and Reber homered two at-bats a part, sandwiching a Turley single.

Newby and Gubler combined to allow only two base runners in the final three innings. Those runners reached via walk and dropped strike three. The Thunder relief duo struck out five, including three in the seventh as Gubler locked down the save. The loss was Snow Canyon’s first in Region 9 play since they lost to Desert Hills on May 5, 2019, the final game of that regular season, with the caveat that teams did not reach league play before the 2020 cancellation. 

Payton Gubler, Desert Hills baseball at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 6, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Two days later, Gubler got the start opposing Warriors ace Carston Herman. Snow Canyon took a 1-0 lead in the first after Anderson drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a ground out, third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. The Warriors did not record a hit until the third inning.

Desert Hills, despite trailing, recorded the game’s first hit in the bottom of the second on an Orchard line drive to right. The Thunder stranded him on second.

The game held at 1-0 until the fifth when an error at third base put Lyon on second. Frei drove him in with a single on a grounder into left. Both of Snow Canyon’s runs were unearned.

Herman struck out 17 over a complete game shutout, getting only four outs in play. He retired the last 11 batters he faced with nine strikeouts. He retired five of the last six on strikes.

Gubler struck out seven over five innings and didn’t allow an earned run himself. He yielded only three hits, all singles.

Snow Canyon travels to Canyon View on Tuesday while Desert Hills visits Hurricane.

Reds sweep battle of Cedar City

Tuesday: Cedar 11, Canyon View 10

Thursday: Cedar 15, Canyon View 0

At home on Tuesday, a nine-run third inning was enough to hold off a late Falcons rally and secure Cedar’s first Region 9 win of the season.

The Reds piled on nine runs to build out an early 11-4 lead. They benefited from three Canyon View errors but capatilized with five hits and two walks to turn a deficit into a big advantage. Braxtan Torres capped the scoring with a bases-clearing double.

Canyon View whittled away at the lead over the final four innings, scoring two in the fifth and four in the sixth. They had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out in the sixth before Kolby White recorded back-to-back strikeouts to avoid more damage. In the top of the seventh, the Falcons went down in order on a pair of pop outs and a strikeout.

Canyon View baseball at Cedar, Cedar City, Utah, April 6, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Tommy English drove in four for Canyon View on three hits and Cameron Calvez and Carson Hopkins each had two-hit games. Torres also drove in four on three hits. White had two hits and got the save.

When the series moved across town, it was all Cedar. The Reds scored six runs in the second and three in the third. They broached 10-run territory with an additional run in the fourth and added insurance with five more in the fifth.

The Falcons committed five errors resulting in only four of the runs being earned. They also issued seven walks.

Meanwhile, White returned to the mound and allowed only three base runners in the five-inning affair. All came on singles. White struck out eight.

Offensively, Kasen Crandall’s three-run homer in the second helped build out the early lead. Lawson Black and Thomas Carter each contributed a pair of hits. Carter also drove in three runs.

Cedar also beat non-region Lehi on Saturday, 10-8. They host the Panthers on Tuesday.

Canyon View hosts Snow Canyon.

Crimson holds Hurricane to two runs, takes two wins

Tuesday: Crimson Cliffs 5, Hurricane 1

Thursday: Crimson Cliffs 13, Hurricane 1

The Mustangs pitching staff kept Crimson Cliffs near the top of the Region 9 pack after keeping the Tigers from scoring multiple runs in back-to-back contests.

At home on Tuesday, Brexten Starley and Aaron Morris combined to twirl a one-hitter. The Tigers’ lone hit came on a single by Tanner Pastor in the sixth inning. Hurricane scored its lone run in the fourth after Pastor walked, advanced on a ground out and scored on a fielding error at second base.

Starley struck out 10 but walked five to elevate his pitch count and keep him from pitching the seventh inning. Morris had a clean bill over his one inning of relief.

Trey Evans and Zach Andrus each recorded two-hit games for Crimson. Petey Soto drove in two runs from the leadoff spot.

In Hurricane, the Mustangs got the no-hitter.

Jaiven Ross struck out eight over five innings, allowing only an unearned run. He walked three. Jaxon Richey issued one walk over the final two innings but allowed no other base runners. It was the second combined no-no for Crimson on the season after Starley and Chase Hansen did so against Canyon View on March 23.

Crimson scored early to take a 5-0 lead into the fourth before the Tigers crossed the plate. The Mustangs added one in the fifth and two in the sixth before circling the bases five times in the seventh to reach 13 runs. The Mustangs drew 10 walks and watched Hurricane commit six errors to run the score up despite recording only eight hits, five of which were singles. Logan West and Canyon Cutch had two-hit games, each with a double. Jayger Baldwin went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

The Tigers also lost to Kanab 17-10 on Saturday.

Crimson Cliffs travels to Dixie on Tuesday while Hurricane hosts Desert Hills.

Pine View stays undefeated against Dixie

Tuesday: Pine View 6, Dixie 5

Thursday: Pine View 5, Dixie 0

The Panthers fended off the Flyers over two games to remain the last undefeated team in Region 9 play.

Pine View baseball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, April 8, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

On Tuesday at home, Pine View edged Dixie thanks to a three-run sixth inning that put the Panthers in the lead after trailing. Ian Becker drove in Traton Staheli and Brandon Roundy with a triple, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Becker.

Pine View also scored two in the first courtesy of a Hunter Stubbs triple, Brock Roundy single and Staheli double.

The Flyers tied it with two of their own in the fourth on a pair of unearned runs following an error by Staheli at first. Dixie took the lead in the fifth on another error. They got their first earned run in the sixth after Jayden Davis tripled, coming home on a Jacob St. Cyr single.

Staheli and Luke Iverson each went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Staheli had two doubles. Brock Roundy threw 4.1 innings in the start, striking out five but walking six. He allowed three unearned runs on two hits. Brandon Roundy pitched the final 2.2 innings, also allowing two hits but a pair of earned runs as well.

Malcolm Bartholomew allowed eight hits in six innings leading to six runs (five earned) in the losing effort.

On Thursday, Staheli and Grayson Erickson went toe-to-toe on the mound. Staheli went six innings, striking out seven and allowing three hits. Erickson also struck out seven, but in one fewer inning. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned. Brandon Roundy struck out the side for Pine View in the seventh to lock down the Panther win.

Pine View scored two in each of the second and fifth innings before adding insurance in the seventh. Brandon Roundy had the game’s only extra-base hit, a double. Staheli helped his own cause with an RBI single in the fifth.

Pine View travels to Cedar to start their two-game set with a chance to stay undefeated at the midway point following the series. Dixie hosts Crimson Cliffs.

Tuesday’s game schedule (April 13)

  • Crimson Cliffs at Dixie
  • Desert Hills at Hurricane
  • Pine View at Cedar
  • Snow Canyon at Canyon View

Region 9 baseball standings, as of April 12

  1. Pine View 6-0 (12-1)
  2. Snow Canyon 5-1 (15-2)
  3. Desert Hills 4-2 (14-2)
  4. Crimson Cliffs 4-2 (11-5)
  5. Dixie 3-3 (7-8)
  6. Cedar 2-4 (4-11)
  7. Canyon View 0-6 (4-12)
  8. Hurricane 0-6 (2-13)

Cedar City News reporter JEFF RICHARDS contributed to this story.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich joined St. George News in October 2020. The Colorado native graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in December 2018, where he was a sports and managing editor at the student publication, The Metropolitan. He worked as a media relations assistant for the minor league baseball club New Orleans Baby Cakes in 2019.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @RAllenSTGNews@STGnews

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