KEARNS — Syracuse qualified for the 6A state tournament on the final day of the regular season — in a loss too — but you'd never guess that was its path to playoffs after the first two games.
Syracuse backed up its blowout win over Copper Hills in the first round on Monday with another convincing win on Tuesday as it pulled away from Kearns with a big fifth inning for the second round win.
"If you look how we've played all year, we're only a couple hits away from region. You can look at us (as) a four seed, that's fine, I don't think we're a four seed," said Syracuse coach Trevor Thomas.
His team certainly made believers out of Copper Hills and Kearns.
Jaxson Christiansen earned the victory on the mound and was an error away from recording the shutout, while Hunter Vanderfleet and Dougray Humphrey each homered for the Titans.
"We go out yesterday and we're putting the bat on the ball, and we're playing really well and the pitcher did amazing, and then come out today with the confidence from yesterday and it just feels so much easier than the pressure in the region," said Christiansen.
Ironically enough, his team will feel the pressure of Region 1 again in the next game. Syracuse has the rest of the week off before returning to action in the 6A winners bracket against Fremont next Monday at UVU at 4:30 p.m.
Syracuse actually took two of three during region play against the Region 1 No. 1 seed.
With the loss, Kearns drops into the 6A one-loss bracket and will face Herriman at UVU on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
The Titans did most of their damage in the fifth inning, which started with a leadoff walk by Jackson Hall and then a drag bunt single by Caden Mitchell.
The two advanced a base on the first pitch from Kearns' reliever, with Hall then scoring on an RBI single by Mark Amparan. Mitchell pushed the lead to 2-0 scoring from third base on a ground out back to the pitcher.
Dylan Hawkes continued his hot hitting with an RBI double to left-center, and following a strike out, Vanderfleet put the punctuation mark on the big inning with a home run to right field for the 5-0 lead.
"Took us about five innings to get used to that pitching, but one thing about our team, we don't give up," Thomas said.
Until that point, Kearns pitcher David Curtis had only given up two hits, but the Titans feasted in the fifth.
Kearns pulled a couple runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning with Aviry Kelly and Diego Guzman both scoring on a throwing error by the shortstop with two outs.
It was the only blemish on a near-perfect day at the office for Christiansen, who improved to 8-2 on the mound with the victory.
"It took me a second to dial it all in. My fastball was moving a little too much for me, but I dialed it in there and got the outs," said Christiansen.
Christiansen only struck out five batters on the day, but he was in complete control only allowing four hits. Following the error that allowed two runners to score, Christiansen retired seven of the final eight batters he faced.
Syracuse tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh as Humphrey smashed a line drive homer into the old scoreboard in right field.
from Deseret News http://bit.ly/2HkdhAw
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