The Green River Pirates made their way to American Fork on Friday for a first-round matchup in the 1A state tournament against the American Heritage Patriots. American Heritage went into the game seeded as the number five team, with the home field advantage. Green River is seeded as the number 12 team.
The Pirates would come out with winning on their mind, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. The game would go scoreless for four innings, until Green River added to their score. The Pirates brought in three runs in the top of the sixth, gaining a comfy lead as the game neared its end.
American Heritage would finally get on the board in the bottom of the sixth, bringing a run to home plate. The Patriots would try for the comeback against Rolando Anguiano, who had a solid day on the mound, pitching the entire game.
American Heritage added one more run, but the Green River defense would finish the game strong, pulling off the upset. The Pirates would get the win, 4-2, securing their advancement in the tournament. They are now set to face the Piute Thunderbirds on Monday in Junction for the second round of the state tournament.
Mauricio Hernandez ended the game with the crucial double that brought in two runs for the victorious Pirates. Christian Venzor and Jesus Escalante both would also bring in an RBI each. Jason Hernandez had a nice day in the batter’s box, going three for four from the plate and Gabriel Quintana ended the night with a double for the winning team.
The Thunderbirds finished the regular season ranked as the number four team in 1A. They defeated UMAHF in the first round, 12-2. The Pirates will look to keep the winning mindset going on Monday, to keep their championships dreams alive.