By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
SPRINGVILLE – The Springville Tigers baseball team has been one of the more consistent teams in our area this year, spending most of the season ranked in the top 10 of the ASWA rankings and putting up a 23-9 record to this point.
This week, the Tigers faced off against area opponent Fairview, playing three games in four days against the Aggies to determine the 5A Area 11 championship. Springville dominated Fairview to bring home the championship.
In game one on Friday, the Tigers got the win in the closest game of the series, a 2-0 victory. Springville got a run in the top of the first inning on a dropped third strike with Grant Martinez at the plate that brought home Kevin Jones. The next two innings would be scoreless for both teams until, in the fourth, Tanner Oakes grounded to shortstop, bringing Martinez home. The rest of the game would be scoreless as the Tigers took game one of the weekend series. Carter Samuelson got the complete-game shutout allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters on the evening. Jones went two of four from the plate.
The second game of the series took place on Saturday and the Tigers had no mercy on Fairview. The Aggies scored a run in the top of the first and held the 1-0 lead until the bottom of the third. Springville put up three runs in the inning, followed by three more in the bottom of the fourth. They added another run in the bottom of the fifth to close out the scoring at 7-1. Alex Holland went the distance and allowed just two hits and one run while striking out eight. Grant Martinez drove in three runs while Jake Conner drove in two in the game that secured the area championship.
The final game of the series was a 14-6 blowout that saw the Tigers score in every inning. Kade Willis got the win, pitching four innings and allowing a hit and two runs and striking out five. Ryan King finished things off, going three innings and allowing six hits, four runs and striking out seven. Grant Martinez drove in three runs on a two-for-two day while King added two RBI and Jake Conner had two as well, including a home run.
The Tigers now sit at 23-9 and enjoy a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
“We entered this past weekend against 10th-ranked Fairview knowing we needed to win two of three to be area champs,” said Springville head coach Jonathan Ford. “Friday night was at Fairview and hits were hard to come by. Kevin Jones led off the top of the first and scored on a passed ball. Grant Martinez walked in the fourth and came around to score on an error. Saturday, Fairview took an early lead in the top of the first, but Alex Holland settled in and didn’t allow another hit the rest of the game. The final was 7-1, securing the area championship and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Game three was a 14-6 victory led by a big home run by Jake Conner.”
Ford continued, “We are currently 23-9 headed into the playoffs. I feel like the guys are getting hot at the right time and are very excited about being at home this weekend. We have a tough Ardmore team coming in from Lawrence County and we know we have our hands full. As I told the guys, everyone is 0-0 now.”
The Tigers will face Ardmore in a doubleheader Friday night at home and, if necessary, the two will meet again on Saturday.