On Friday night the Helper Merchants played their final regular season game taking on St. George. Helper had already beaten them earlier in the season at the CJ Smuin Memorial Tournament, but this time was a little different. St. George’s Brock Roundy pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball shutting down the Merchants 8-0. Ending the season with a 13-2 record the Merchants were also given the No.1 seed in the American Legion State Tournament, that starts Saturday in Logan.

The Merchants began the contest with Chet Anderson on the mound.  Anderson lasted three innings surrendering eight runs (three earned) on 12 hits and struck out three. Ridge Nelson took over in the fourth striking out four.

The team from St. George jumped out quickly putting up three runs in the first three innings. In the fifth they would put five runs on the score board on their way to a shutout.

Anderson, Nelson, Rylan Hart, Derek Robison, and Jace Barlow all registered one hit for the Merchants in the loss.

After the loss on Friday, night the waiting game started as Helper would wait to see where they would land as far as the State Tournament, and Monday morning they were notified that they would hold the No. 1 seed. Helper finished the season with an overall record of 13-2 and had a region record of 6-1 overall.

Helper will begin play on Saturday night when they take on Bear River at Ridgeline High School at 5:00 p.m.. Bear River is the No.8 seed in the tournament. If Helper wins they will move on to play the winner of the game between Alta, a team the Merchants defeated at the CJ Smuin 11-1, or the host team Ridgeline Wolverines, on Monday the 25 at Ridgeline High School, if they were to lose they would face the losing team at Ridgeline at 2.

The Tournament will culminate with the crowning of the champion on Thursday.

Check back with Castle Country Radio for the latest updates on the 19u Tournament as they become available.