Gunnison claims state title for second consecutive year

Second time around
By Sean Hales
5-14-08

OREM - For the second straight year, the Gunnison Bulldogs earned the 2A state baseball title after defeating Richfield last Saturday in the championship game, 10-0.

The Bulldogs' run at the title started on Saturday, May 3 with a 10-0 win over Millard, continued with a win over South Sevier, 8-0, and a semi-final win over Richfield, 4-3, before the championship win Saturday.

For Gunnison head coach Jared Anderson, the Bulldog performance illustrated the dominance of a team whose members are experts at handling, and dishing out, pressure.

Thursday, May 8
quarterfinals vs.
South Sevier Rams

In Gunnison' s first game of the second week of playoffs, it was the Bulldogs who applied the pressure in the form of timely hits and good base running that distracted Rams pitcher, Nathan Robertson.

In the second inning, two walks and two steals set up a two-RBI single from Taylor Newman. After that, Roberts started throwing as often to first base, trying to pick off runners, as he pitched to home plate. "It was huge," Anderson of his team' s base running. "The more pressure we could keep on him [Robertson] the better we would be," and, he added, "That' s kind of been our strength all year."

Newman also hit a two-RBI double in the sixth inning to lead the Bulldogs with four RBIs. The Bulldogs also got it done defensively, led by pitcher Kevin Nay who threw 11 strikeouts in six innings in the shutout win (see related story). The only real scoring threat from the Rams came in the fifth inning when Nay allowed his only hit, a double to the left field fence. A bunt moved the runner to third, but centerfielder Heston Neal grabbed a pop fly to end the inning. "Our kids played really well that game," said Anderson. "Just kind of a flawless game."

Max Sanders went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the game, and Jaden Hill, Bradley Jackson and Bryant Davis each had an RBI. But in the next game, a semi-final match-up against second-ranked Richfield, it would be the Bulldogs who would be under pressure—for a little while at least.

Friday, May 9
semifinals vs.
Richfield Wildcats

Of course, both Gunnison and Richfield felt the pressure Friday morning; they had split the season series between them and had traded the top ranking all year.

"That semifinal game is pretty much the championship," said Anderson. The loser of the game would have to overcome two handicaps if they hoped to claim the title: win their way through the loser' s bracket into the championship game and once there, win two consecutive games. Anderson said the game was "two heavyweights going at each other."

Richfield landed the first blow in the bottom of the second when a leadoff single resulted in a run after a two-out triple to left center. Meanwhile, Gunnison couldn' t apply their own pressure as Richfield' s fielding continued to take opportunities away from the Bulldogs.

"They made some big plays," said Anderson about the Wildcats. For example, in the fifth inning with two outs and runners at first and second, Bulldog Cutler Frandsen laced a bullet in between third and second bases that looked like it would get by the shortstop. But the Richfield player grabbed it and got the out at second to end the inning.

"We know anytime we go against Richfield it' s going to be a one-run game," he said, adding, "We had base runners every inning; we just didn' t have the hits." But instead of collapsing under the pressure, they answered the call, Anderson said. "I never sensed a feeling of urgency," he said. "It was a confident feeling. I told them, ‘You guys are doing a great job. You' re keeping the pressure … somebody get me a big hit.' "

That somebody was catcher Jace Anderson, who nailed a shot over the centerfielder to bring in two runs and put himself on third base.

For coach Anderson, that hit was simply a part of what his team is. "We' ve had big players step up at big times all through the season, and it' s been all nine of them." A pop-fly from Jackson that fell harmlessly to the ground behind first base brought Jace Anderson home, and a single from Davis brought home Jackson.

From the mound, Jackson got the win with 10 strikeouts and scattering six hits through seven innings.

Saturday, May 10
championship vs.
Richfield Wildcats

After losing on Friday morning, Richfield found its way to the championship game by pounding Parowan, 16-5 on 21 hits on Friday night.

And it looked as though the Wildcats would start against Gunnison right where they left off with Parowan. In the first inning, four Richfield batters put pitches from Kevin Nay into play. In the second inning, Richfield loaded the bases from two walks by Nay and the Bulldog mishandling of a bunt, but a ground ball to third ended the inning and the Wildcat threat. Indeed, after Gunnison' s first at-bat it looked to be a classic Gunnison-Richfield battle. Newman struck out, Frandsen was caught out in centerfield and, after being behind in the count, Sanders battled pitcher Jesse Hartle to a full count before putting a single into left field.

But, the combination of pitching two games in three days and the pressure of being in a must-win situation took its toll on Hartle. "I think he was tired," said Jared Anderson, "and I think there was some pressure there." What' s more, he added, "We were living at the plate. We just continually had pressure and when you have pressure, something' s got to give." And give it did, in the third inning when Gunnison put nine runs across the plate.

Of course, the Bulldogs got some help from Hartle and the Wildcat' s defense: three runs were the result of walks or hit batters, and two runs came in on an overthrow at first base. The game-winning run came in the fourth inning when a balk put Neal across the plate after a single, steal, and sacrifice got him to third.

Anderson said under those circumstances anyone could struggle and Hartle "could be on my team anytime, anywhere. I respect him. He' s a competitor."

He also said between Richfield and Gunnison, two teams composed of players with long histories of playing with and against each other, there are no secrets.

"It' s just a matter of who does it on the field that day," Jared Anderson said. Coach Anderson said the team' s second championship in as many years is simply the result of a team who is willing to work for it, and work through being the team with the target on its back.

"To win a championship is one of the hardest things to do. To repeat is three times as hard and it doesn' t come by chance." But, he said, just being willing to put in the time necessary to be ready to claim a championship takes something else altogether, and goes beyond talent or skill.

"They love the game of baseball," coach Anderson said about his team. "And you can' t coach that."