ST. GEORGE — The Region 9 baseball season is barely underway but the usual suspects are already proving themselves to be the teams to beat.

The past two 4A state championships were decided between Crimson Cliffs and Snow Canyon. If early local games are any indicator, it appears the Mustangs and Warriors are on a fast track to be in the final game this year as well.

Snow Canyon swept its series against Pine View this week and is 4-0 in region play, 12-3 overall.

Crimson Cliffs is right behind at 4-1 in region, 11-4 overall.

The Warriors and Mustangs are on a collision course for Tuesday, April 2, when they play the first of a home-and-home series in Washington Fields at 7:30 p.m.

Also in the mix is Desert Hills, which swept Hurricane to improve to 4-2 in Region 9 and 13-4 overall.

Dixie is in third place in the region standings at 3-1, 14-2 overall. The Flyers were off this week.

Snow Canyon 6, Pine View 3 | Snow Canyon 10, Pine View 0

At Pine View Tuesday night, the Warriors trailed 2-1 after the first inning but rallied with timely hits and good pitching.

Kyson Goates recovered from first-inning jitters and settled down to throw the full seven innings, picking up the win on the pitching mound. He struck out eight Panthers and walked none. Goates allowed three runs off three hits in the victory.

Nash Schroeder pitched five innings for Pine View, yielding three runs (two earned) off five hits. He walked four batters and struck out three in the setback.

Crew Secrist and Makaio Swensen each had two hits in the win. Talan Kelly and Damon Ence each drove in two runs for the winners and Hayden Smith recorded a solo RBI.

Daxton Chase and Andrew Shakespeare both homered for Pine View in the loss. Schroeder recorded Pine View’s only other hit in the contest.

At Snow Canyon Thursday night, the Warriors got a two-hitter from junior righthander Andrew Lyon in a game that ended early.

Lyon threw six innings, allowing only the two knocks. He struck out five Panthers and walked four. 

“I was really locating my fastball well,” Lyon said after the game. “And my slider was pretty good.”

Snow Canyon scored at least once in every inning but the third. 

Swensen and Corbin Hafen each stroked three hits in the win. Swensen and Ryder Harrison each drove in a pair of RBIs.

Four other Warriors–Secrist, Kelly, Ence and Smith–all had a solo RBI for the winners.

“Our offense is really good. They swing it well,” Lyon said. “They got my run support, for sure.”

Pine View’s Tristen Sylvester pitched well against the high-octane Snow Canyon lineup. He worked 4.1 innings in the setback, yielding 11 hits and nine runs. He walked four batters and struck out one.

Carter Stubbs and Shakespeare provided the two hits for Pine View in the defeat. The Panthers fell to 2-2 in Region 9 and are 11-4 overall.

Lyon said the Warriors are eager to make it to the state finals again after coming up short the previous two years.

“It motivated us a lot, that’s been our theme,” Lyon said. “We’re trying to get the wins. Yeah, we want that ring.”

Desert Hills 12, Hurricane 5 | Desert Hills 1, Hurricane 0

In Hurricane Tuesday night, the Thunder used a three-run first inning and a four-run sixth inning to cruise to a comfortable victory.

Hoyt Atkin (2.2 innings) and Jaxton Tolman (4.1 innings) pitched for Desert Hills in the win. They allowed 11 combined hits, five runs, issued four walks and struck out 11 total Tigers.

Landon Stewart (4.1 innings) and Brycen McCauley (2.2 innings) pitched for Hurricane. They yielded seven hits, 12 runs, issued seven walks and struck out four Thunder batters.

Only five of the 12 runs surrendered by the Hurricane hurlers were earned as the Tigers committed seven costly fielding errors.  

Crew Christensen led the way for the Thunder at the plate, recording a triple and an RBI among his three hits. Jace Fillmore had two base knocks and an RBI for the winners as well.

For the Tigers, McCauley hit safely three times including a double and a triple. Zane Staley had two hits and two RBIs for Hurricane in the defeat.

At Desert Hills Thursday night, Hurricane sophomore pitcher John Raddatz threw a one-hitter. And lost.

Haigen Reed doubled home Cooper Cluff in the bottom of the sixth and the Thunder won a classic pitcher’s duel.

Andrew Wilson worked the hill for the Thunder, scattering four hits in his 5.1 innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Sophomore Harmon Skeen finished things up for Desert Hills, hurling 1.2 innings and giving up one hit. He walked none and fanned three batters.   

Raddatz suffered the hard-luck defeat after giving up one run in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out six Thunder batters.

McCauley continued to swing a hot bat for the Tigers, tripling and finishing with two hits. Zane Staley batted safely twice and Aaron Gonzales recorded the fifth hit for Hurricane.

The Tigers slipped to 5-7 overall and are still looking for their first Region 9 win. Hurricane’s next region series begins at Dixie April 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Desert Hills next plays at Cedar in the opener of a home-and-home series April 2 at 3 p.m.

Crimson Cliffs 12, Cedar 0

At Cedar on Tuesday afternoon, the Mustangs belted out 10 hits, including three home runs, in a shutout.

The Mustangs got off to an early start when Jason McArthur and Trey Evans each scored from third on wild pitches in the top of the first inning.

In the top of the second, Parker Andrus belted a towering solo homer to center field, the first of three runs by the Mustangs that inning.

Crimson added four more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth. Evans and Kyler Skinner each stroked a home run and Tyler West hit two triples.

The game was called after five innings due to the mercy rule. Starting pitcher Jarvis Osborn went the distance in the shutout win, allowing just two hits while striking out seven.

Cedar dropped to 4-12 overall and is still seeking its first win in Region 9 play.

The same two teams finish their home-and-home series in Washington Fields Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

— written by Jeff Richards 

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