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Show . 4 r U - t ' I i ' 4 f ' , i f , ? -r'i U i : v v t2 f'v v - 4 t-.v s ) W-'U. 1 ; ' -'v, I " ' U ' rA- . i :' ' - - " - ' " "BYE, BYE BASEBALL" is the theme song as Dean Townsend blasts the baseball over the fence for a homer, which produced a Union High School 6 to 5 victory over the Manti baseballers in the bottom of the eighth inning of a quarter final contest in Roosevelt, Saturday. Townsend drilled the second pitch of the inning into home run heaven. Certs win baseball shriller witfh home run explosion Dean Townsend saved his best for last as he smashed the second pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning over the left field fence and gave the Union Cougars, a 6 to 5 quarterfinal triumph in Roosevelt, Saturday over Manti. "It was a fastball and it was right down the middle. Coach Patterson told me to wait for it and go up there with some confidence," said Townsend. Manti's pitcher, Tracy Smith, fired a high pitch to Townsend for ball one, but the next pitch was in the strike zone and Townsend ended the game with the mighty shot. "Before he hit it I thought, wouldn't it be great if he hit one over the fence, and he did. It's a good way to end a ball game. Anyway is a good way to end a ball game when you are on the winning side," stated Lynn Patterson, Union High School baseball coach. One of Union's baseballers, Don Hall, was watching Dean Townsend at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and he said, "Dean is a good hitter, I think he will get a hit and John Blake, another Union player said, 'I think he will park it.'" "We all thought that Dean Townsend was due and he came through with a bang," commented Ron Gates, Union's shortstop. Townsend had a sacrifice bunt in his first at bat and added a fly ball and a fielder's choice before he gained his best hit of the day the blast of the year over the left field fence. Union picked up its first runner in the bottom of the first inning. Ron Gates reached first base on an error by the shortstop, but he was tagged out when he tried to steal second base. The Manti crew acquired its first baserunner in the top of the second inning when Matt Jackson was walked by Union hurler, Brent Fenn. However, Fenn made up for the walk as he picked Jackson off first base with an amazing throw, which fooled everyone in the stands. Union garnered a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Fenn singled and a sacrifice bunt by Townsend advanced Fenn to second base. Fenn stole third base and crossed home plate when Wade Cooper arrived at first base on an error. Cooper moved to second base on a bad throw, but Don Buchanan grounded out to end the inning. The Union Cougars appeared to be in complete control of the baseball game as Smith grounded out and Lee Anderson An-derson had two strikes. However, Union's pitcher, Fenn delivered three balls in a row for a 3-2 count and hit the batter to place a runner on first base. An error put Phil Marsh on first base and Anderson advanced to second. Steve Jackson was walked to load up the bases and a wild pitch allowed Anderson to score and tie up the game at, 1-1. Mark Boynton was walked to place runners on first, second and third and Marsh scored and gave Manti a 2-1 lead when Dan Witt received four balls. Union's coach, Lynn Patterson, decided it was time to make a pitching change so he brought in sophomore, Lonnie Sammaripa. The bases were loaded, but Sammaripa got the Cats out of trouble as he whiffed Matt Jackson and Bill Floyd to keep Union only one run behind the Manti baseballeres. However, Manti's lead was shortlived shor-tlived as Union scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3 to 2 advantage. 'John Blake singled and Gates connected with the baseball on a shot close to the fence, which drove in Blake and placed Gates on third base. Steve Robb continued the attack on the Manti hurler, Smith, as he ripped the ball for a ground rule double as the ball bounced over the fence and Gates scored to give the Cougars a 3 to 2 lead. Fenn hit a shot in right field for out number two and Townsend flied out for the final out as the ball was caught close to the fence. It was Manti's turn to attack the pitcher in the top of the fourth inning. Doug Larson hit a pitch that had home run written all over it, but at the last moment the ball hit the top of the fence and darted back into the outfield for a double instead of a homer. Smith was hit by the pitcher and a fielder's choice placed Anderson on first base. Larson was tagged out as he tried to move from second to third on the ball hit by Anderson. An-derson. Steve Jackson was walked to load up the bases, but Manti turned up empty handed in the run scoring department as Boynton struck out when he went after a high pitch with two outs. Union was retired one, two, three in the bottom of the fourth inning on three fly balls in the outfield and the Manti crew made up for its failures in the fourth inning with two runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 4 to 3 advantage. Witt led off for Manti with a single and advanced to third base on a double by Floyd. Larson drilled a pitch by Sammaripa for a double, which drove in Witt and Floyd. Larson moved to third base on a fly ball by Smith, but died at the base when Sammaripa struck out Anderson to end the inning. Now it was Union's turn to regain the lead in the ball game and they did just that as they scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5 to 4 lead. Kenny Anderton led off with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Blake. An error by Manti's shortstop placed Gates on first base and Anderton on third. Robb ripped the Manti pitcher for a single into the outfield, which drove in Anderton An-derton to tie up the contest at 4-4 and advanced Gates to second base. Fenn hit a blooper into left field to knock in Gates for a 5 to 4 Union advantage. Six of the seven batters in the sixth inning committed outs and the other baseballer, Steve Jackson of Manti slugged a pitch by Sammaripa over the left field fence for a homer, which tied up the game at 5-5. Manti's Matt Jackson and Floyd bit the baseball dust due to three strikes, but Larson reached first base when Union's Buchanan made a shoestring catch of the ball, but dropped it when he leaped into the air to show that he had nabbed the ball. However, Sammaripa ended the Manti threat in the top of the seventh inning when he grabbed a pop fly near the Union dugout. One man kept Union from breaking the 5-5 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning and that was centerfielder, Steve Jackson. Jackson robbed Gates of a hit with an amazing running catch for out number two. Robb gained a single when the ball bounced over the third baseman's head, but Jackson made another super catch as he nabbed a vicious shot by Fenn to send the game into an extra inning. The first Manti batter grounded out, but Sammripa walked Marsh. Jackson grounded out, but Marsh advanced to second base. Manti failed to drive in Marsh as once again Sammaripa came through with three strikes as he whiffed Boynton. Townsend answered the fans' question about the winner in the contest when the sent the second pitch over the left field fence in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6 to 5 Union victory. , ., v k a ' v - . ,v . - f V A , -.VV, ' ; s '. ' V-v . ' A W -T ' ; v - 4V 1 1 V '0 ' YHM . ' ' V f VW i ., ' A t 1 teu-f'' . - 1 " v' - .... "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS" is shouted by Wade Cooper, 10, center and other Union Cougars just seconds after the mighty home run explosion by Dean Townsend, which gave Union a 6 to 5 quarter final win over Manti in the bottom of the eighth inning. |
