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OREM — Wednesday’s Class 4A semifinal at Brent Brown Ballpark resembled a staring contest more than a baseball game.
Who would blink first, Timpanogos or Spanish Fork?
Turns out, the defending state champion Timberwolves forced the first move.
Winning pitcher Tyler Cornish went 2 for 4 with a triple and three RBIs to lift the Region 7 champion Timberwolves into Friday’s state title game with a 4-1 win over Spanish Fork.
“We felt like we had to play our best to beat these guys,” Cornish said. “They are a great team.”
Timpanogos (27-1) will face Spanish Fork again at 1:30 p.m. Friday. If the Timberwolves lose the first game, another one will be played at approximately 8 p.m.
In the final winners’ bracket game, Timpanogos’ defense smothered the Dons (25-4), who scattered five hits and only advanced past second base twice in the loss.
“That was a great baseball game. But obviously to be on the winning side is even better,” Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson said. “We had a couple of chances, they had a couple of chances, and still it was 0-0. There were a lot of squared balls to hit well, until an inning opened defensively.”
The Timberwolves finally opened up the game in the fifth inning. Cal Beardsley and Joshua Edmonds got on base on errors, and Beardsley advanced to third on a misthrown ball to set up before Derik Eaquinto was hit by a patch to load the bases.
Cornish ripped his bases-loaded triple deep into right field, and Connor Halford’s sacrifice fly drove in the other run of a four-run inning that gave the Timberwolves all the scoring they would need.
“They had thrown me only curveballs, so I was expecting it right off the bat and I was expecting it,” Cornish said. “I just went the other way with it, and tried my best.”
Brady Brook scratched across an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth for Spanish Fork, but the Dons could get no closer.
In addition to his offense, Cornish scattered just five hits, one earned run and three strikeouts, with no extra-base opportunities. The winning pitcher induced a horde of long pop flies into the outfield, and his defenders, Casey Hamilton, Derik Eaquinto and Joshua Edmonds, shagged 11 pop-ups while the infield turned a double play in the second inning.
“Defense wins championships,” Cornish said, repeating the common refrain. “You’ve got to have a good defense behind you or it makes things more stressful.”
With the win, Timpanogos advanced to consecutive state title games after last year’s final that broke a four-year absence for the perennial power from Utah County.
“To me, I think these kids, no matter who we are playing, have come ready to play and to make progress with every game,” Nelson said.
Cornish shrugged when asked about the team’s one-loss season just two days before the state final.
“It’s just hard work,” he said. “That’s the only way I can describe it.”
Spanish Fork 5, Maple Mountain 4
At Orem, Joshua Cowden drove in Tanner Argyle in the bottom of the seventh to help the Dons walk off with a 5-4 win over the rival Golden Eagles and set up a rematch with Timpanogos in the title game.
Brady Brook went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead Spanish Fork, who pounded out five runs on an efficient seven hits.
Colin Reid went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Maple Mountain (19-11).
