The Helper Merchants made quick work of Mountain View with a two-game sweep in the best of three series Monday night at Ernie Gardner Field in Helper.
Entering the state tournament as the No. 14 seed, the Merchants were paired with No. 19 Mountain View. Making a statement in game one, Helper dominated with a 14-1 victory.
Rylan Hart led the offensive explosion with five RBIs on a 3-4 performance at the plate. Derick Robinson ended 2-3 with a double and three RBIs. Jordan Fossat ended 1-2 with two RBIs and Braxton Bennett brought in one run after going 2-4 at the plate.
While the Merchants were dominate in the batter’s box, they also thrived defensively as Tyler Wright earned the win on the mound. Pitching four full innings, Wright fanned five batters and kept Mountain View off rhythm throughout.
“He attacked the zone against each hitter pretty much the entire game,” said manager Dakota Cisneros. “He started on top, threw his pitches and had great command.”
Needing one more win to advance to the double-elimination tournament unscathed, the Merchants completed the sweep with a 2-0 win in a defensive battle.
Jordan Wright pitched a complete game shutout to help secure the win. Wright recovered from a slow start to record nine strikeouts in his most productive outing of the season.
“He started the game a little wild, but settled in and was great for us,” said Cisneros. “I’m proud of the way he threw for us tonight.”
While Wright was dynamic on the mound he also helped his cause at the plate as he finished 2-3 with one RBI. Rylan Hart ended the game 2-3 and Tyler Wright logged one hit in a 1-3 effort.
Monday’s two game sweep means the Merchants will now play this coming Friday in the first round of the double-elimination format tournament. All of the teams that won their best of three series will now be re-seeded, with the tournament moving forward this week.
Stay tuned to Castle Country Radio for more on the Helper American Legion baseball team as Cisneros will join KOAL’s Drive Time Sports Wednesday at 4:00 p.m..