Prep baseball: American Fork tops Lone Peak for 5A title

Orem • Lone Peak did almost everything one could want in a baseball season, including winning its region and getting to the top of the regular-season rankings.

But American Fork, while finishing second to Lone Peak in Region 4, managed to beat the Knights five of the six times the two teams met in 2016.

Yeah, you could say the Cavemen had their number. And that number was one.

With a 13-9 victory Friday night, American Fork grabbed the first-place trophy for Class 5A after beating Lone Peak for the second time in the same day.

"It's fun. We did it five times this year and the fifth one was as hard as any," said American Fork's Mick Madsen, who pitched the last five innings of the nightcap. "Especially at this point when you're facing Seth Corry, it's awesome to beat those guys."

The Cavemen essentially wrapped up the crown with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. American Fork led 8-7 at the start of the frame and, with the bases loaded, got a single from Ryan Hardman for an insurance run.

The next batter, Jace Ybarra, cleared the bases when his single skipped past the Lone Peak right fielder for a five-run advantage. Ybarra scored on a passed ball.

American Fork needed at least a few of those extra runs down the stretch as Corry, Lone Peak's starting pitcher, blasted a pair of home runs to right field.

In the fifth, with his team behind 8-4, Corry sent a shot soaring over the fence for a three-run homer. In the top of the seventh, the Knights' junior then socked another drive for two more runs.

On the mound, Corry worked into the sixth inning. But he had some control problems in the first and also gave up a trio of seeing-eye singles through the infield to the Cavemen.

Hagen Holmstead started the American Fork first with an infield hit to shortstop and that was followed by a Buster Hardman opposite-field poke in between first and second.

Chandler Wood and Travis Johnson also went the opposite way against the Lone Peak southpaw as AF registered a five-run opening inning rally.

"These kids have battled adversity all year long and we've had so many things go against this team," American Fork coach Jared Ingersoll said. "And they fought their butts off. We've been strong in the face of adversity and I'm just proud of them."

American Fork won the opening game 8-4 on Friday, after losing to the Knights 4-3 on Thursday. —

Storylines

R American Fork (24-8) beats Lone Peak (21-9) twice on Friday — 8-4 and 13-9 — at Utah Valley University to win the title.

• It is American Fork's fourth baseball title and the second under coach Jared Ingersoll, who guided the Cavemen to the 2012 title.

• Lone Peak's Seth Corry started the second game at pitcher for the Knights and hit a pair of home runs, driving in five runs.