5A high school baseball playoffs: 2-run homer gets Riverton going

Orem — Whether it was the tumultuous wind blowing in from centerfield or tremendous pitching, the offensive attack for both teams was nearly obsolete as Riverton battled Taylorsville for a chance to advance in the 5A State baseball playoffs Tuesday at Brent Brown Ballpark on the campus of UVSC. It took four innings, but the Silverwolves bats finally came alive sending Riverton to the 3-1 win.

After three scoreless innings Riverton's Vance Howard ripped a two-run dinger to left breaking the scoreless tie at 2-0.

"It was huge," said Riverton coach Jay Applegate. "He got a pitch a little bit up and he hammered it for us."

With pitcher Tanner Banks carrying a no-no through three frames the lead appeared early that it would stand.

Taylorsville brought a run across in the fourth after loading the bases when a groundout by Ty Boswell resulted in an RBI. However, leaving runners on base appeared to be the Achilles Heel for the Warriors all night.

Riverton struck again in the fifth when a perfectly executed hit-and-run put runners on the corners for Alex Newman. Taylorsville pitcher Preston Olson forced Newman to ground into a double play, but with nobody out the play resulted in an RBI.

Banks would bend, but not break in the bottom of the fifth after an infield hit and two walks loaded the bases for the Warriors. A sharply hit groundball by Will Draper put an end to the rally as he was thrown out at first.

"He got out of a few jams," Applegate said. "He's been lights out for us and I thought he showed a lot of maturity."

The nightmarish groundball resurfaced again in the sixth for Taylorsville as Olson grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end another scoreless inning for the Warriors. After Olson retired Riverton in order in the top of the seventh Taylorsville found itself down to its last three outs of the game facing Banks who had allowed just two hits all night.

With two outs in the final frame Zane Pulver laced a triple in the corner to start a two-out rally. After striking out the first two batters of the inning, Banks calmly went to work and struck out senior Jeff Pratt to preserve the complete game three-hit win.

"With Taylorsville's tradition, that's a phenomenal team," Applegate said. "He hung right in there and he got us the win."