Region 9 baseball: Pair of no-hitters highlight week of sweeps

Written by Rich Allen
April 6, 2021
Dixie baseball's Grayson "GJ" Erickson (left) and Desert Hills' Kaden Terry (right) each threw no-hitters last week | File photos by Rich Allen, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — An eventful second week in Region 9 baseball play saw domination for some on both sides of the ball.

Hurricane baseball at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 1, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Desert Hills and Dixie both benefited from no-hitters on the mound en route to a pair of sweeps, while Snow Canyon reached double-digits in offense in both games again. Three games were decided by more than 10 runs and only two were decided by fewer than five runs as a top-half of the standings looked to build a gap between themselves and the have nots.

Only Snow Canyon remains without a loss in region play, while three teams still are seeking their first victory of the season entering week three. The winless Canyon View Falcons and Cedar Reds meet up north to begin week three.

Here are recaps from week two of Region 9 baseball:

Pine View stifles Crimson Cliffs bats, wins two

Tuesday: Pine View 11, Crimson Cliffs 3

Thursday: Pine View 7, Crimson Cliffs 2

Pine View outran their number of hits in both games and held Crimson to just five runs total in the set to earn the sweep.

At Panther Field on Tuesday, Pine View used a six-run fourth inning to pull away. A Traton Staheli single and Brandon Roundy walk set up a sac bunt by Ian Becker before Dylan Becker and Tristen Bird were hit by pitches to drive in the first run. Bridger Despain drew a walk before Luke Iverson doubled and Hunter Stubbs and Brock Roundy singled.

The Panthers added three more in the sixth on a Staheli bases-clearing single.

On the mound, the Roundy brothers held court. Brock tossed six innings to start the game, striking out eight and allowing only three runs. Brandon threw a one-two-three seventh to secure the game.

Iverson, Stubbs and Dylan Becker all drove in a pair while Staheli led the game with three RBIs. Staheli also had the only multi-hit game for Pine View. The Panthers recorded eight hits and were aided by six walks and two hit by pitches.

Tate Maynard had the only extra-base hit for Crimson on a double. Petey Soto, Brexten Starley and Trey Evans all had hits for the Mustangs as well.

When the series shifted to Washington, Staheli’s prowess shifted to the pitching rubber. He put up a masterful pitching performance, striking out 13 and allowing only two hits. The Mustangs did not score until the seventh, after Staheli exited the game.

The Panthers had the game’s only score through the fourth after Despain reached on an error and eventually came around to score on another misplay by Crimson. They padded the lead with a three-spot in the fifth after Stubbs scored on a passed ball and Brandon Roundy drove in Staheli with a single and Dylan Becker had an RBI groundout.

Two more errors in the seventh inning snowballed into an additional three runs for Pine View, culminating in a misplay by Evans in left field that scored all three.

Brecken Smith drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh and Brexten Starley scored on a passed ball.

Pine View moves to 4-0 on the Region 9 schedule and 14-1 overall. They host Dixie on Tuesday.

The Mustangs fall to 2-2 and 9-5. They’ll host the Tigers next.

Terry’s no-hitter leads Desert Hills to sweep of Cedar

Tuesday: Desert Hills 3, Cedar 0

Thursday: Desert Hills 9, Cedar 2

Kaden Terry got all 21 outs and even one extra in a dominant showing over the Reds to set the tone for the series. The only base runner to reach for the Reds came on a dropped strike three. Terry struck out 13, issued no walks and allowed zero hits.

Desert Hills baseball at Cedar, Cedar City, Utah, April 1, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

A strong showing on the mound was necessary for Desert Hills as Miles Topham nearly went pitch-for-pitch with Terry, striking out a dozen in six innings of work. The sophomore allowed only three hits, giving up a solo home run to Chandler Reber in the bottom of the first. After issuing a walk to Joey Brooks in the next plate appearance, he promptly retired the next six hitters in order, four by strikeout.

The other Desert Hills runs came on a pair of errors by the Cedar catcher.

Reber and Karson Irvin had the other two hits Topham allowed.

In Cedar, Desert Hills’ bats awoke in the second inning, posting five runs. The Thunder recorded five straight hits back-ended by a pair of doubles by Luke Orchard and Cole DeCastro. All five would eventually come around to score.

The Reds got on the board with a pair in the fourth, capitalizing on a pair of Thunder errors. Thomas Carter reached on a misplayed ball at second before Kasen Crandall reached via single. After another error, those two advanced to third and second, respectively, before each scored on back-to-back singles by Braxtan Torres and Kyler Callister. Desert Hills had added two more to their lead by then and it stood at 8-2. Irvin drove in Brooks in the sixth with a single to cap the scoring.

Payton Gubler struck out five in five innings in the start for Desert Hills and Irvin allowed no hits in the final two.

Desert Hills improves to 3-1 in Region 9 and 13-1 overall. The Thunder take on the Warriors at Snow Canyon next.

Cedar also fell 4-3 to Payson on Saturday in non-region play, dropping to 0-11 overall and 0-4 in league. The Reds host cross-town rival Canyon View on Tuesday.

Snow Canyon’s offense keeps rolling, Warriors storm past Hurricane

Tuesday: Snow Canyon 11, Hurricane 0

Thursday: Snow Canyon 23, Hurricane 1

The Warriors keep wearing out home plate, asserting quickly in game one at Hurricane with nine runs in the first. Snow Canyon drew four walks in the top of the first and recorded three hits — a double by Mayze Mosher and singles by Drake Kelly and Isaac Lyon.

Hurricane baseball at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, Utah, April 1, 2021 | Photo by Rich Allen, St. George News

Snow Canyon also benefited from three Tigers errors in the frame of their four total in the game. Six Warriors had RBIs in the game.

Pitcher Josh Akins pitched like the game was scoreless, allowing only five hits in six innings and only one for extra bases. He struck out five and issued three walks.

Josh Wright, who had the Tigers’ lone double and another single with the bat, had a strong outing on the mound. He did allow nine runs, but only two were earned. He struck out five as well.

When the Warriors came home, the first-inning offense followed. Snow Canyon piled on 11 in the first in game two. The Warriors had nine hits in the inning, five for extra bases. Mosher and Easton Rigby each had two hits in the inning. Mosher drove in three on a triple and single and Rigby drove in a pair on a double and a single. The team also drew three walks in the frame.

Snow Canyon added nine in the second inning as well.

On the mound, Carston Herman gave up a leadoff walk but retired the next nine in order. He gave up a single to Asher Christensen in the fourth to end the no-hit bid. Christensen came around to score following another single and an error, accounting for Hurricane’s only run.

In total, Herman struck out seven in five innings before mercy was called. He allowed only the two singles and a walk, throwing 52 of his 70 pitches for strikes.

Offensively, Mosher drove in five runs on three hits. Luke Anderson, Mason Strong and Sam Lindsey each had two hits and Rigby had three. Strong and Landon Frei each hit home runs.

The 4-0/10-1 Warriors host Desert Hills on Tuesday.

At 0-4/2-11, the Tigers travel to Crimson Cliffs next.

Erickson’s no-hitter clinches sweep for Dixie

Tuesday: Dixie 7, Canyon View 3

Thursday: Dixie 12, Canyon View 0

In game one in St. George, the Flyers got to Canyon View starter Brayden Winn early, scoring six runs across the first three innings. In a three-run second, the Flyers benefited from two Falcon errors and GJ Erickson and Malcolm Bartholomew each recorded hits.

Canyon View baseball at Dixie, Dixie High School, St. George, Utah, March 30, 2021 | Photo by RIch Allen, St. George News / Cedar City News

Meanwhile, the Falcons scored once in the second and twice in the third to stay in the game. Chase Calvez drove in a pair with a double in the third.

Dixie starter Luis Acuna struck out four, walked three and allowed five hits in his four inning. Cayson Bell struck out six in three innings of relief, allowing only a lone hit.

Jaxon Mackelprang, Jayden Davis and Erickson each had two hits for the Flyers. Kody Callison had two for Canyon View.

In Cedar City, Erickson’s miraculous pitching led Dixie to a blowout victory on both sides of the ball. In five innings of work his only blemish was a walk by Rennen Halladay in the third. When the bats posted eight in the fourth and fifth, the 10-run rule allowed him to finish the no-hitter two innings early. He struck out five and threw 45 of his 67 pitches for strikes.

Brieten Oaks hit a grand slam and Jacob St. Cyr also hit a homer. Oaks and Shea Anderson each had two hits.

Dixie, at 3-1 in region play and 7-6 overall, travels to Pine View next.

Canyon View is one of three winless teams in Region 9 and stands at 4-10 overall. They play cross-town rival Cedar on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game schedule (April 6)

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

Region 9 baseball standings, as of April 4

  1. Pine View 4-0 (14-1)
  2. Snow Canyon 4-0 (10-1)
  3. Desert Hills 3-1 (13-1)
  4. Dixie 3-1 (7-6)
  5. Crimson Cliffs 2-2 (9-5)
  6. Canyon View 0-4 (4-10)
  7. Hurricane 0-4 (2-11)
  8. Cedar 0-4 (0-11)

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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