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Show Softs dl'!? 1TDDSS 4-1 San Juan High School grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Union High School, Region 9 champion, scored four runs and behind one-hit pitching by Lonnie Sammaripa knocked off the Broncos in Roosevelt, Tuesday, March 3 for a 4-1 quarterfinal victory. The Cougars will battle Emery in the 2-A state semi-finals, Saturday at the Brigham Young University baseball field at 3:30 p.m. Sammaripa struck out led off batter, Nielson in the top of the first inning, but also whiffed Roberts. However, Roberts advanced to first base when the catcher dropped the third strike. Roberts moved to third base on a bunt by Raymond and an error on the throw to first base resulted in Roberts crossing cross-ing home plate with a 1-0 San Juan lead. Sammaripa struck out Berenson and S. Yazzie to end the inning. Union went down in order in the bottom bot-tom of the first inning as Mike Ross grounded out, Jim Trowbridge struck out and Sammaripa hit a fly ball to the centerfielder. San Juan gained one base runner in the top of the second inning in-ning as Jones was walked, but C. Yazzie Yaz-zie grounded out and Shumway was retired on three strike s for the final out. Brett Cramer struck out in the bottom bot-tom of the second inning, but the San Juan catcher dropped the third strike and motored to first base. The dropped drop-ped third strike proved to be a costly mistake as Chad Richard ripped the baseball over the fence for a two-run homer and a 2-1 Union lead. Kenny Anderton singled, but Freestone struck out. Wayne Gingell flew out and Bryan Eldredge was whiffed. Roberts was walked in the top of the third inning, but Raymond grounded out and Berenson struck out. San Juan was blanked in their half of the inning, but Union was not as they scored two runs for a 4-1 lead. Ross singled and stole second base. Trowbridge lined out to the shortstop and Ross darted to third base on a passed ball. Sammaripa Sam-maripa was walked and stole second base. The throw to second base sailed into the outfield and Ross scored Union's third run. Sammaripa stole third base on the next pitch and scored on a single up the middle by Cramer. Richard was walked and Anderton grounded. Freestone struck out for a third out. The first two batters, S. Yazzie and Fisher were retired, but Sammaripa ran into trouble on the mound as he walked Jones and Yazzie. However, he got out of trouble when he struck out Shumway in the top of the fourth inning. Eldredge got on the base paths for Union on a walk in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Ross and Trowbridge flied out. San Juan gain- I ; 1 la! . . :. - - pi COUGAR HURLER, Lonnie Sammaripa gets ready to send the baseball on a blazing blaz-ing mission to home plate. San Juan bat ters had a rough time as Sammaripa gave up on one hit in the entire game. i , " a f , . f l , ; .- i i ; --v ... ' . ; J : N . l v ' . -A. -v, ;., ;V : j 5 : ' r; v v h i A CELEBRATION occurs out on the mound as Union pitcher, Lonnie Sammaripa, Sam-maripa, left, hugs third baseman, Brett Cramer, right, and in the process knocks off Cramer's hat. The game ended 4-1 in Union's favor on a line shot in Cramer's glove. ed its first and only hit when the second se-cond batter in the top of the fifth inning, inn-ing, Roberts singled. However, he died on the diamond as Raymond and Berenson grounded out. Cramer got on base in the bottom of the fifth inning on a free pass, but the next two batters, Richard and Anderton Ander-ton committed outs. Sammaripa struck out S. Yazzie and Jones and had Fisher fly out to the catcher in the top of the sixth inning. Pinch hitters for Union, Rich Hadlock and Shane Neilsen struck out and Eldredge grounded out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sammaripa retired C. Yazzie on a strike out and Cochran grounded out on a close play at first base. Nielsen hit the first pitch by Sammaripa Sam-maripa and the liner was snared by third baseman, Cramer for the final out of the game, which made the final score: Union, 4, and San Juan, 1. When asked to comment on the second se-cond inning homer by Richard, Union baseball coach Brent Fieldsted stated, "The count was 2-0 and the pitcher had to come in with a fastball. It was high and right down the middle. Chad Richard really nailed it and it went into in-to deep centerfield. There was no doubt it was gone when he hit it." Fieldsted added, "Ross singled in the third inning and stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball. Ross scored on a overthrow to second due to a stolen base by Sammaripa. We had three stolen bases in the inning inn-ing and Cramer got the base hit to drive in Sammaripa." Sammaripa pitched the entire game for the Union Cougars. He allowed one hit, struck out ten and walked four. "He looked really good. He was a little lit-tle shakey in a couple of innings. San Juan bunted five times and that's how they got some of their outs. They didn't hit Sammaripa very well. He pitched a good game." Roberts gained the only hit for San Juan in the game in the fifth inning. "It was a 0-2 count and he stuck his back out and blooped it over third. They never hit it hard once all day," remarked Fieldsted. Union beat Emery in a preseason game, 8-4. Emery is the defending state champion and their top pitcher is Cory Mortenson. Lonnie Sammaripa will pitch in the game for the Cougars. ; ; f h . . ! l i V . f - . " i 1 ... - - : i ; A FREE RIDE greets Union's Lonnie Sammaripa, top, as he gets lifted into the air by the Cougars' Brett Cramer during the Union High School crew's victory celebration seconds after the conclusion of the game. .. . ...... . , lt. j - . ....: ' " ' r : " ' I A BASE HIT is Shane Neilsen's hope as he takes a swing at a pitch from San Juan's hurler. |