Riverton earns 'unbelievable' win

RIVERTON — Riverton coach Jay Applegate may have described his team's 12-11 win over Bingham best when he said, "If you weren't here and didn't see it, you might not believe it."

What was nearly unbelievable even to those present were the dramatic turns that occurred during the seventh inning. Bingham scored nine runs in the top half to overcome a five-run deficit and take a four-run lead, but Riverton answered with a five-run bottom-half of the inning to end the Region 3 season for both teams in dramatic fashion.

It looked like it might be a blowout. The Silverwolves' Scott Shipley was in complete control on the mound. For six innings the right-handed sophomore kept the Bingham bats at bay. Through six, he allowed only two runs — David Johnson hit an RBI single in the second inning, and Brock Whitney had an RBI single in the fourth — and scattered six hits.

While Shipley was keeping the Miners' bats in control, Riverton was putting up some runs. The Silverwolves scored three in the second inning on Nic Johnston's RBI single and an uncharacteristic pair of errors by Bingham. Jordan Hansen hit a two-run home run in the third, and Mitch Carter slammed a solo homer in the fourth. Payton Rentmeister added an RBI-double in the sixth and Riverton was only three outs from a dominating 7-2 victory.

"You have to give them credit," said Applegate of the Miners. "They could have quit, but they are battlers and just did not want to pack it in. They got a little momentum and rode it a long way."

Shipley struck out the first batter of the inning, but then the fates turned. The next seven Miners reached base and scored. Tyler Tuft, Skyler Young, KC Peck all hit RBI singles. After a pitching change, Johnson knotted the game at seven with his second RBI-single of the game. Another pitching change, and Dusty Heaps hit a two-run single off staff ace Rentmeister for the two run lead. Zach Swasey added another two-RBI single and Bingham had an 11-7 lead.

"Before the game, I told the kids that we needed to work on simply competing. I didn't think we had done that in this series very well, and I wanted them to just come out and battle. I said the wins and losses would take care of themselves" said a nearly prophetic Applegate.

The Silverwolves responded to the coach's words. Three straight singles by Shipley, Parker Barlow and Johnston pulled Riverton to within three. Brandon King hit a two-run single. Matt Newbold got a single to set up a dramatic last at-bat with Rentmeister. After working the count full, the senior-captain blasted a shot to the right-center alley that scored two and ended the regular season for both teams.

"I was mad at how the top of the inning went, but I just knew that I wasn't going to go down looking," said Rentmeister. "I thought it was a pop-up at first, but it just kept carrying and now it is just a great feeling."

---

E-mail: mblack@desnews.com