After South Sevier forfeited on Thursday and a loss to Pleasant Grove on Saturday, the Helper American Legion squad beat Vernal 7-4 in the Southern Utah American Legion Tournament to earn a spot in the upcoming Utah State Legion Championship beginning this Wednesday at Gates Field in Kearns.
South Sevier was unable to field a team on Thursday, ending in a forfeit. The two teams played anyway, with South Sevier using players from other teams, and ended in a South Sevier 7-5 win.
After inclement weather on Friday forced games to Saturday, Helper then took on number one seeded Pleasant Grove at 10 a.m., losing the game 4-2. The contest featured just nine total hits, four off the bats of the Merchants. Wyatt Wilson had the only RBI in the game. Jadon Robertson, Zac Bradley, Jayden Flemett and Ty Anderson had the only hits in the game, with Flemett’s going for extra bases on a double. Bradley threw an out shy of a complete game, taking the loss.
Helper then took on Vernal right after the Pleasant Grove loss, winning the game 7-4. The Merchants had 13 hits in the game, four for extra bases. Anderson went 3-3 with two RBIs. Braxton Bennett also knocked in two runs, going 1-3 with a double. Cody Lowe, Kameron Gunter and Flemett each added two hits apiece in the win. Andrien Sanchez got the win on the mound after giving up just two earned runs in five innings of work. He struck out two while issuing three walks.
Helper will now take on Lone Peak Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Gates Field in the first round of the double elimination tournament. The Merchants would play the winner of St. George or North Cache in the second round on Thursday at 11 a.m. A loss would send them to Pleasant Grove High School against the loser of St. George and North Cache at 11 a.m.