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Show league tournament '.title bteven R. Ford Dy Hilltop Times making plays. "I knew we could come back because we are a team that can hit and score runs. I just tried to keep them focused on not giving up any more runs." Enter Blake Merrill, a lefty who had pitched well against Clearfield the previous week. All Merrill did over the next five innings was scatter four hits, record five strikeouts and hold the Falcons scoreless for the rest of the game. Merrill is a deceptive pitcher with a good slider and curve to add to his fastball. Such an array of pitches helped keep the opposing batters off balance the rest of the way. "Blake definitely came through," said Dicus, "and if there was an MVP for this game, it was him." But down defense and pitching was only going to get half the job done. Aranda's needed some clutch hitting to even have a prayer. An offensive juggernaut all season, Aranda's didn't disappoint. With one out in the bottom of the second inning, short stop Scott Lockhart Left fielder singled to start a mini-rallMark Bourne singled him around to third and then promptly stole second base. Iverson then executed a sacrifice bunt to score Lockhart, and third baseman John Dicus ripped an RBI single that scored Bourne, At the end of two, Clearfield was still up by five, In the bottom of the third, right fielder staff A junior high age baseball team sponsored by Aranda's Karate and comprised mostly of players and coaches from Hill AB capped off an incredible season by beating the Clearfield Falcons 7 and adding the league tournament title to their growing trophy case. Aranda's had already won the 1999 regular season trophy of the Davis County Junior High league and entered the tournament as the number one seed. Their rivals, the Clearfield Falcons loomed on the horizon, but Aranda's would have to wade through the early round in order to reach the finals. As they had during the regular season, Aranda's steamrolled over their first two opponents, thoroughly thrashing Woods Cross 17--6 and Layton 18-The Falcons would prove to be a different breed of cat. In the championship game, Clearfield jumped out to a 0 lead after the first inning and a half. Several errors on routine grounders by Aranda's infielders, combined with some timely hits by the Falcons, conspired to place the team from Hill in a deep hole. "Kody Iverson started and pitched the first two," said coach Jim Dicus. "Kody didn't pitch bad, we just didn't play behind him. They were getting too much momentum and we just weren't 8-- 7-- 3, i i llitii.rlir" H'.'.i TM-- m K I Z-- ii K omnium y.xm iifii r Photo Kyle Harvey lead off with a single and made his way to third until being dri- n . n n m I. in., r nn r' I 3-- H 1 niww-.njiruia,- Vtep 7 . LA Ya .. 723-525- 5 pqwiiac CWvrcWt QUICK n , iti 1. if if - r .. iminr i. LAYTON 1ASJMJ 399-562- 1 1 cmynoitl r k 645 N. MAIN SERVICE . 7, Brigham CO. &: U r 0 A sacrifice fly to left scored anothercutting the score to 10-- butthatwasascloseas the 421stwould get. Two quick outs ended their title hopes and started the celebration in the 649th dugout. 'Teamwork," said Dannenmueller, "that's what it takes, and we just brought home the gold." The gold was a large championship trophy that was accepted by the 649th at the pitcher's mound and paraded back to their side of the field. "It's great," Martinez said. "Everyone was really tired, but everyone worked hard and it turned out good." gff Utah's "Only" Full Line GM Dealer ' -0 at the plate 0, n i iGM SALES er 7-- 6. sffl . 4-- 4 5. rf 8-- 7. over-the-should- exclamation to an unblemished season. "Clearfield is a great team," the elder Dicus remarked. "You can't many In the fourth, Aranda's continued their teams 7 runs and still come spot back for a offensive march, scoring three more victory. That shows the character of runs on RBI singles from Iverson and this team. They refuse to lose and are Harvey, pulling them within two of the never out of it." lead at ; Aranda's finished the regular season Aranda's got RBIs from Lockhart, a 11-- winning the regular season trodouble in the fifth and Harvey, a sin- phy and going in the tournament to in the to lead to take the gle start capture that trophy as well. sixth, offensive MVP, going with three RBIs. 649th pitcher walked the bases loaded. Then he v the seventh inning, But it took a catch game saving, by the younger Dicus to seal the victory. Merrill would strike out the final batter of the day to add an emphatic ven home on an RBI sacrifice fly by second baseman Chris Smith. If Merrill was the defensive MVP with his overpowering repertoire, Harvey was the walked in a run, cutting the lead down to 10-- A fly out to second produced the inning's first out, but the 649th followed by helping out again with and error by the short stop, scoring another run. ' Pam by Openshaw The players and coaches from Aranda's Davis Country Junior High baseball league team pose on their home field with their newly captured 1999 league and tournament championship trophies. Kneeling, from left, Mark Bourne, Tommy Jackimen, Scott Lockhart, Chris Smith, Ben Openshaw, Kyle Harvey, John Dicus, Blake Merrill. Standing, Thurmond Tilley, Robi Price Ben Buckly, Matt Jacobsen, Adam Bernards, Kody Iverson, Derrick Olsen, Coach Ed Lockhart' Back row, coaches Jim Dicus and Kevin Iverson. facture seven runs and hold the 649th to none to even force extra innings. Not an enviable task, but the 421st went right to work. After scoring their first run on a sharp RBI single to right field, the 421st, as in the first game, began to get some help from their opponents. First, with two on, the 6-- 2. I f 7-- 2. the 421st into another hole at They added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and another two in the bottom of the fifth, while playing good defense and limiting the 421st to just one run over the next 2 12 innings. "Our strategy was to hit as often as we could and just get out there and play the balls," said 649th catcher Mike Martinez., "We had some really good players and some average players, but as a team we all played really well." In the top of the seventh inning, down 10-- the situation was desperate for the 421st. They needed to manu f f 1 y. from page 16 ' - 4 7-- 0, 5. Softball, 14 544-123- VtMTar NEW 4 Willard 543-227- 7 USED CREDIT HOTLINE Bay v Dodge Plain I I1 V nty.' Jsaaai er I jp-- JLL. :-; Clearfield I WIV rn gden 3 j! 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