Colts don't need monkey's help to win

OGDEN — The monkey is back and he's hungry for more. The Cottonwood Colts carried a toy animal, that they called their, "Rally monkey" with them as they advanced through last season's 5A title run. They say he is back delivering his magic.

"We gotta have him," said catcher Rem Wilson. "When we are looking for something good to happen, we go up and give him a little rub."

With ace, Tanner Robles, on the mound, the players did not need to worry about needing aid from their stuffed friend. The left-handed junior threw what has become expected of him— a gem. Robles went all six innings striking out 12 to lead Cottonwood to an 11-1 victory in the 4A state playoffs.

Robles carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before giving up two singles that also cost him the shutout. He had help, though, in the fourth inning from Kyle Beverly who made a spectacular running catch before crashing into the wall.

"I jinxed myself," Robles said. "I told Kyle in the dugout, 'You saved my no-hitter.' I knew as soon as I said it that I was in trouble."

The game was never really in question as the Colts' offense also did its part. Casey Sato led off the game with a walk, and he made his way around the bases eventually scoring on a wild pitch. The second inning was really the early dagger.

Kyle Beverly led off with a single before Jeff Lavulo walked. Curtis Larsen singled to load the bases setting up catcher Rem Wilson. The junior delivered a two-run single to jump-start the offense.

"Rem is the type of player that really steps up his game come playoff time," said Cottonwood coach Jon Hoover. "He is a big reason for our success. He is granite behind the plate and he calls most of the game."

Wilson finished 2-for-3 with the two RBIs, and maybe even more significantly, he takes control when Robles is throwing his 92-mph fastballs toward home.

"It is a lot of fun," Wilson said of catching for Robles. "No one is better in the state of Utah. I've caught him since we were eight-years old, so we are pretty much on the same page."

Robles helped himself when he led-off the third inning with a solo-home run over the right field fence. Lavulo added an RBI-single in the inning. The Colts tacked on three more runs in the fourth on a Cliff Andersen RBI-single and Beverly knocked in one. They put it away in the sixth with Danny Payne's two-RBI single.